


Lego Elves: The New World

by Pepsi_Writes



Series: Rewrite the Magic [1]
Category: Lego Elves: Secrets of Elvendale (Cartoon)
Genre: Elves, F/F, F/M, Fanfiction, Fantasy, Gen, Lego, Lego Elves - Freeform, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-18
Updated: 2019-09-15
Packaged: 2019-09-22 10:34:22
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 10
Words: 41,766
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17058179
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Pepsi_Writes/pseuds/Pepsi_Writes
Summary: The story begins when a loved one ends. Emily Jones, 16 years old, is crushed by the recent loss of her grandmother, but has the honor of inheriting her amulet. Fate takes a turn for the fantastical when this amulet turns out to be a portal key to Elvendale, a distant world where the mythical is an everyday reality.





	1. Unite the Magic

**Author's Note:**

> Enjoy the first chapter of Rewrite the Magic! I made it super long for those who are like me and are starved for Elves content.

"Grandma wanted you to have this Emily, that way, she'll always be here." The teen took the blue amulet from her mother, clasping the silver chain around her neck and moving her copper brown braid from under it. She drew circles with her thumb on the smooth gem, recalling how her grandmother never took it off during her life.

"Hey," Her father placed a hand on her opposite shoulder, shaking her a bit, "you haven't been out of the house in days Emily, maybe some time outside in her garden would help?" He managed to cause a ghost of a smile to cross her eyes. Emily took a shuddery breath, feeling tears prick her eyes once more as her thoughts invaded once again. Her parents covered her with their hugs, which helped ward off the pain in her heart as she gave another wimper.

“And stay out as long as you need, it’ll do you well. We’ll be waiting.”

"Ok, thanks mom, thanks dad." She said through a quivering lower lip. Her parents let her go from their loving warmth, letting her stand and breathe deeply. As she walked to the sliding glass door that led to the backyard, she felt like she had weights strapped to her legs. Her hand lingered on the cold handle, turning back to her parents, she saw her mother comforting her father. "Granny Em" was his mother, her loss hit everyone like a poison tipped bullet. 

Grandpa was in his room, probably looking through old photo albums that went back through their nearly 63 year marriage. Her younger sister, Sophie, acted unbothered. But the lack of dubstep being blasted from her room was a sign that she had buried herself under her covers, crying into the white teddy bear grandma had given her when she was a baby.

She had lived there her whole life with her grandparents and parents. Every room, she had run through possibly hundreds of times while playing tag with her grandma. The atmosphere suddenly lacked the pure joy that radiated from her, but the house smelled like her still, even though she had been gone for four days already. Emily couldn't stand to be in the house any longer, she unlatched the door and slid it open, running out into the cool morning spring air, not bothering to close it. She ran until she reached the neat little rows of flowers and shrubs that her grandmother had tended to for years before even her father was born. Emily clutched the amulet as she saw each plant, every garden decoration, they all had memories of Granny Em with them. 

Emily used to hide in the Lilacs, grandma made crowns out of the Daisies and Marigolds with the girls. Five years ago, they had planted a patch of Daffodils, that was the day Emily found out she was allergic to bees. Three years ago, the pink Nerium Oleanders, when her grandmother spent the whole time telling a story of a great dragon. That summer, white Chrysanthemums, just because her grandmother thought them fitting.  
And then the previous week, she, her grandmother, and Sophie had sat outside next to the hummingbird feeder. They told stories, at least Granny Em did, her stories were always the most fantastic. As she thought about the times they had had together, she continued through the rows, wandering into the trees. Ducking under branches and pushing through bushes, she came upon a little glade. In it, was a large, twisted Oak, its leaves seeming to be a deeper and richer green than the others surrounding it. 

She knew this tree, her grandmother was always around it. Admittedly, Emily used to be scared of that tree because when she was little, she thought the tree took her grandma away for days at a time. When asked about it, her grandmother reassured her that the tree was a friend of hers, and that she simply was visiting for awhile, and that she'd always come back. 

As Emily grew up, her grandmother didn't leave for as long anymore, if at all. But she stayed beside that tree anyway, reading, singing, sewing or admiring. But looking at it now, Emily's heart and soul felt healed, no longer weighted down with mourning. Emily felt as if her grandmother was right there, sitting by its trunk, beckoning her over to listen, to be with her. She smiled, a shroud of calm and comfort urged her closer and closer until she was covered from view by the treeline behind her. The twisted tree welcomed her, her grandma welcomed her. The grass caressed her shoes and the little white wildflowers giggled in joy at her arrival. 

Emily looked into the tree's trunk and exhaled, her being felt... floaty and free like dandelion fluff on a summer breeze, heart strong and grounded as a mountain, mind refreshed and cleansed by a flowing river. Heart full of love that warmed her soul like a candlelight on Christmas Eve. She took her hand off her amulet, bringing it up to see the gemstone. It still reflected light, even though she was in the shade, which she felt was odd. The light reflected swirling patterns in the stone as well, which Emily could've sworn weren't there. Looking back to the tree, there seemed to be a prick of light in it now, matching the swirling light.

"Wait, what is-?” Emily said, quickly looking back down at the blue stone. The light shone brighter off of it now. It wasn't reflecting any light, it was glowing! 

In a panic, Emily started to back away when the swirling light in the tree expanded into a white expanse to match her amulet. Emily could only register that the seemingly magic doorway got darker towards the center, looking like outer space, before an unseen force picked her up and pulled her with a yelp into the expanse.

 

~*~

 

_Emily opened her eyes, trying to slow her panicked breathing from what happened. She expected for what just happened to only be a hallucination, but no. Emily found herself floating in a blue and yellow starfield. Everything was bright as day, looking behind herself, the portal as she understood, was still open, but she couldn't see out. Orienting her body around, she tried to move back to where she came, but to no avail._

_A sparkle caught her vision, one of the stars had moved in closer. Then another, and yet another, she tried to brush them off but her hand passed through them._

_"No, no, I just want to go back, please." She tried to reason. But the lights started to circle her, causing her to spin as well, being brought up and up and up. The starfield changing from blue and yellow to blue and orange, like the early afternoon. The lights brought her up even further, then fell back away, leaving Emily floating above a glowing platform in front of an even brighter doorway._

_She felt hesitant to go any further, and was about to try and turn to go back to the other doorway, when the amulet chimed. The sound caused the doorway to react by forming two outlines of hands and arms, reaching out gently for her. Again, Emily felt calm and welcomed, the light comforting her as she took both of the hands and let them pull her closer._

 

~*~

 

She was out of the starfield, tripping onto green grass. The previously unheard sounds of the doorway cut out as it closed. Facing down at the grass on her hands and knees, heart racing, she shook her head in bewilderment. Without looking, she took in her surroundings. Warm air filled her lungs, it smelled fresher than it did only a few seconds ago. A cooling breeze passed by, teasing her loose hairs up and carrying bird songs along with it.

"This is, just a fever dream. Yeah... I probably just passed out for a moment and now I've woken up and can go back to the house." She said to herself as assurance. She breathed in deeply again, squeezing shut her now tearing eyes. She stood up, clenching and unclenching her fists, and snapped open her eyes to be greeted with...

"Not my... home?" Head shaking again as she looked around. None of trees were familiar, the leaves weren't even green! They were all sorts of pinks, oranges and yellows with some green splashed in as well. The forest looked like it was in the dead of Autumn, but the air smelled of Spring.

A crunching branch followed by a "who's there?" lurched Emily out of her shock and into a run away from the tree and into some bushes just ahead. Knees up to her chest, Emily clutched her head, making sure she was effectively hidden before peaking out to scope the area. 

A person stepped out from the trees and into the small clearing where she had just been. They were for sure female, with brown skin, and hip length red to yellow ombre hair. She wore a strapless mid thigh length dress that looked like layers of red fire. The layers embroidered with gold and fastened with a gold belt. The girl turned around so her face was in clear sight of Emily from between the bush leaves. She looked confused, her lips pursed and head tilted in thought. She brought her hand up to her face, moving her hair behind her elongated and pointed ear.

Emily gasped at the realization, which seemed to grab the presumed elf's attention to her direction. Emily shrunk back into the bush, making a small rustle of the leaves.

_What in the hell? Where am I?!_

"Hello? I know you're here someplace!" The elf called out, taking a step to Emily's hiding place. Her heart rate started to skyrocket as the girl walked. Once she had come a little closer, Emily could see her face also had markings, one little red violet flame on her left cheek, and a more pointed design on her forehead of the same color. Gold earrings hung from the lobes of the pointed ears, ending with another flame shaped piece. The girl kept walking and stopped in front of the bush, halfway between Emily's side and the opposite. She tried not to make a sound as the elf looked around, hands on her hips, seemingly questioning herself.

And then Emily felt the need to sneeze. She tried to hold it back, waiting until the elf was a little further away until letting it out as quietly as she could.

"Ah ha! There you are!" The elf turned to Emily's bush, certain of her presence. Hands shaking, heart rate spiking, Emily froze as she came closer. When the elf had come to her bush, and Emily could see the elf's shins and the bottom half of her dress, Emily dashed out of the bush, startling the elf and making her jump back. Emily skidded on the grass, tearing up the ground as she bolted even further from the tree that brought her to this alien world.

"Wha- hey wait!" The elf started in pursuit of her, sending more adrenaline into Emily's blood, making her run faster and easily out-pacing her pursuer. What couldn't have been more than thirty seconds later, Emily gained view of a treehouse in a huge clearing. She veered right, not even noticing the male elf dressed in a green and brown vest and black shorts crouched down tending to some saplings. In her frenzy, Emily ran straight into him, tripping over his back and face-first onto the grass with a sharp scream.

"Ow! What was that for?!" He exclaimed, Emily hardly heard as she was up again in seconds and ready to run again.

"Farran stop her!" The other one was catching up, and Farran had gotten up, making eye contact with Emily. He was startled, she was scared out of her mind, and so she turned and started sprinting away again.

"Farran what are you doing, stop her!" Emily didn't bother looking back. Then out of nowhere, a glowing green branch moved into her path at chest level, she had no warning to stop before slamming her body into the branch, snapping it off and sending her down. Both of them were close to her now. She turned to the sizeable branch beside her place on the ground and stood, putting it in between herself, Farran and his friend. They stopped running after her, putting their hands up.

"Azari, what did you do?" Farran asked scornfully.

"I didn't do anything she just ran!" Neither of them took their eyes off Emily, who backed away, teeth barred and keeping the branch ready to defend if need be. Farran stepped closer, hands still up, Emily stepped away, focusing on him.

"Hey, we don't want to harm you, we just want to ask some questions."

"Yeah and I have a whole lot of those to." Emily shot back in a moment of feeling bold. "Starting with where on God's green Earth am I?!" Her hands were shaking even more violently now, visibly moving the branch in her hands.

"Well what's your name firstly?" Azari said. Emily swallowed her stress and inhaled shakily.

"Emily. Now where am I? Who, who are you?" 

"Whoa hey, just calm down." Azari said stepping closer, a warm orange glow fading in on her palms. Emily turned the branch to the brown skinned elf, looking at the glow in her hands. "I'm Azari, Fire Elf, knucklehead here is Farran, Earth Elf." Azari then let the glow ignite into a small flame, making Emily yelp.

"How, how are you doing that, doesn't it hurt?" She said. This making the elves laugh.

"Hey one question at a time Emily, why would our magic hurt us?"

Emily let out a strained laugh, "Oh wow really funny, 'oh it's just magic',” she mocked, “what do you take me for?"

The elves looked to each other in confusion, Farran spoke up, "Yeah, magic. Everyone here has it."

"Don't you have magic?" Azari asked.

"Why would I? Magic doesn't exist!" This made the elves gasp, clearly taken aback at such an idea.

"Of course it does exist! Everyone and everything here in Elvendale has magic." Farran's hands glowed green, making a seed in his hand sprout. Emily felt a static chill cascade down her spine.

"Elvendale? I'm-”

"In Elvendale, yeah. Where did you think you were?"

"Earth! I was in my grandmother's old garden, and now I've somehow been spit out on a whole 'nother planet?!” Emily's voice rose, turning away from the two, dropping the branch to bring her hands to her temples.

"Well, I don't know how you found yourself here," Farran walked around to face Emily, "But I promise you we'll help you find your way back."

"And how do you suppose that even can happen?" Emily turned her body to follow, keeping him in direct sight.

"Hey guys! What's up?" Another voice asked, Emily's head snapped to the general direction it came from. As she was about to run off again, someone grabbed her arm and placed their hand on her forehead. Suddenly, all of her fear and sorrow faded out, and only relaxation remained. Her shoulders dropped, and Emily could breathe openly again.

"Nice Azari, hey Aira!" Farran waved behind Emily. Azari lowered her hand from Emily's forehead and let go of her arm, putting the same hand on Emily's shoulder.

"Are you okay?" Azari asked hushedly, Emily nodded, contemplating why she so suddenly wasn't frightened anymore. "Okay," Azari grinned, a low chuckle came from her smile, "Come on, let's go see Aira and find out where you came from." Azari took her hand, guiding Emily to the treehouse. Another elven girl in a white dress with blue and yellow feathers on the collar and sleeves stood by the steps, golden wings strapped to her back. Her long purple to white ombre ponytail had an accenting braid in it, and was lightly danced in the breeze.

Now that Emily's mind wasn't clouded, she took in her surroundings. The sky was mostly clear, with pure white cirrus clouds here and there. Just over the trees, Emily thought she could see glimmering blue mountains in the distance. Her skin was warm, with the pale yellow sunlight coming down on the clearing. The male elf was just ahead on her left, greeting the newcomer. Azari's warm, lightly roughed hand held her own on the right.

"Oh wow, this is SO cool, a new friend!" The purple haired elf squealed to herself, the purple design on her forehead creasing with her smile. "Hi, hello, I'm Aira-" She brought her hand out towards Emily, “It’s so nice to see a new face around here.” Aira had the largest grin on her face, it was so long since anyone had been THAT happy about Emily’s presence, she couldn’t help but shyly smile back.

“Nice to, meet all three of you?” Emily let go of Azari’s hand and brought it up to shake Aira's.

“Wow, you’re really strong! I didn’t know my hand could squish like that.”

“Oh I’m sorry I-”

“It’s fine, I’m just super stoked to meet a new face in Elvendale!” Aira shook Emily’s entire arm, grinning from elongated ear to elongated ear, bouncing on her toes.

“Ehhuh, yeah… Elvendale…” Emily lowered a brow, looking on her left to the nearly hidden pathway to the tree she came from.

“Come on inside, you still look pretty shaken.” Farran said, climbing the steps behind Aira and opening the door at the top. Aira floated to the top of the stairs, dropping her wings by the door. Azari put her hand on Emily’s back, ushering her forward.

“You’ll be fine, I’ll get some tea going and you can rest. Do you like nectar fruit?”

Emily smiled. “What’s nectar fruit?”

 

~*~

 

“So, your name’s Emily. Again, super siked to meet you, where are you from? Athelney? Crystal Springs? Trudid?” Aira had pummeled Emily with questions as soon as she walked through the door. Farran was on the other side of the room, planting sprouts in a little purple pot by the window. Azari had settled Emily onto a lime green cushion by a large window, and had walked to another room to get tea brewing.

“I’ve never heard of any of those places, sorry.”

“Never? They’re some of the more populated cities and towns in Elvendale, how could you have not heard of them?” Emily shrugged, pulling a lock of hair behind her ear. Then Aira loudly gasped.

“Omigosh are you okay?!” Aira worried, her voice breaking from the pitch change. Emily looked at her, hand frozen by her confusion.

“Yeah, what do you--”

“Your ears!”

“What about them?”

“They’re small and round, Farran get over here look at Emily’s ears!” The male elf turned over his shoulder, eyes widening as he saw Emily’s ears. He jogged across the room, sitting by Aira and leaning in to see better.

“Whoa, what is up with your ears?!” 

“Can you even hear?” Emily scrunched her brows together, looking between the two.

“My ears? What about yours? The three of you look like you all walked out of a fantasy novel.” Emily paused, looking down then up again, “Or I walked into one…”

“Weird.” Farran whispered to himself. Azari came out of the other room, a cup of tea in hand.

“What’s this about little ears, did I miss something?’ Azari sat on a cushion to Emily’s right, across from Aira, and handed Emily the tea, which was lukewarm and heavily fragrant. She thanked the crimson haired elf, and quickly took a drink, easing her dry throat.

“With ears that small, I’d think you were a human.” Farran said, standing to get a book from the shelf next to where Azari came from.

“You’d think I was human? What do you mean by that?”

“What he means, is that humans are super rare in Elvendale. No one has ever heard of one beyond stories. Well, at least I haven’t.” Aira replied, leaning back into her seat, hands in her crossed legs.

“Well, last time I checked I am, indeed, human. Always have been.”

“Then that explains why you said magic didn’t exist. Because it doesn’t in your world, right?”  
Farran said, finger on a page in his book. “Emily, where did you say you were from? God’s green---”

“---Earth.” This earned a ‘whoa’ from Azari.

“So that means you must have stumbled your way into a portal. The book says that the only way to get to Earth is through one.”

“Oh oh oh tell us about Earth Emily!” Emily quickly drank the rest of her tea, preparing for the questioning.

“OK, uh… What do you want to know?”

“Do you live under the ocean, or up in the sky?” Came from Azari.

“No, I live on land, in a house.”

“Oh oh! Do you have dragons?” Aira waved her hand in front on her, excited for an answer.

“Dragons exist here?”

“Oh, no dragons? Nothing? At all?” Aira clarified, visibly disappointed. Emily shook her head.

“Girls, focus. Emily is a human in Elvendale, if word gets around, she could be in danger. We have to find a way to open the portal to Earth and get her home unscathed.”

“What do you mean, unscathed?” Emily stiffened, heart rate picking up for the umpteenth time that day.

“Says here that you have no magic in a magic world, which is dangerous in itself. And way long ago, when humans were commonplace, they were often used as someone’s-- ahhh!” Farran ducked, dodging a fireball from Azari.

“Don’t be saying those things Farran! I just calmed her down, we don’t need her running off again.” Azari put a hand on Emily’s arm. “Don’t worry about it Emily, you’ll be alright. Those are just myths and stories, no one has even seen a human in centuries! Stay with us and you’ll be fine, we’ll help you open the portal back.”

“Portal back? The only portal I know of is from the Five Sisters legend. You remember that legend from school, right Farran?”

“I do Aira. But nothing specific.”

“Five Sisters?” Emily asked, tilting her head.

Aira gasped, delighted at this opportunity. “It’s an amazing piece of Elvendale history! The Five Sisters each belonged to her own element, holding her own kind of magic. The first four, Emily, possessed Earth, Fire, Air and Water. But the fifth was a little different.”

“How so?”

“She didn’t have the common magic. You see, the fifth sister was more subtle, but just as strong. But since she almost never used it, she may as well have had no magic.”

“What happened to the fifth Aira?” Azari asked, she seemed to not have heard of the legend, or wasn’t as familiar with it.

“Well, the sisters combined their magic, making a portal to another, magicless world.”

“Boring!” Emily turned to Azari. “Oh, not the story Aira, but a world without magic-”

“Sounds exactly like Earth, where I live.” Emily said, voice laced with a bit of offense towards Azari’s remark. “What happened after the portal was built Aira?”

“The fifth was ultimately chosen to live in this other world, because keeping the portal open was a huge risk none of them were willing to take. She chose to become human to protect the two worlds. They all had keys, each infused with the magic of a corresponding sister. 

“The fifth took her key to the magicless world, which opens the portal to enter. The other four keys are used to open the exit at the Sky Castle. The Earth sister destroyed herself, consumed by her lust for power, driving the remaining three sisters apart. And the fifth sister visited Elvendale less and less, eventually disappearing altogether. Those who saw her, said that she became mortal, and grew older and older each time she was spotted.

“When the fifth stopped visiting at all, her remaining three sisters, consumed with grief, became strangers to the others, their keys were lost.” Aira choked up, and sniffled.

“That story isn’t sad, it's amazing!” Azari exclaimed.

“It’s a little cliché.”

“It’s an adventure Farran.” Azari bit back, hand on her hip. “We have to find those keys!”

“It’s going to be dangerous, but we have to do something.” Aira said, turning to Emily.

“Or I’ll never get home, see my family or friends ever again…” Emily picked up the blue stone of her grandma’s amulet, looking her reflection in the eyes.

_Grandma, who did you used to be? What else have you been hiding from us?_

Farran put a finger to his chin. “We should visit Naida, she has lots of maps, surely she can help.”

 

~*~

 

“Oh yes, I know that legend!” Naida exclaimed, moving a game piece to a place on a board. “Sorry Delphia, it’s just not your day.” The elf with blue to dark blue ombre hair put her hands on her crossed legs. “We have plenty of maps here, one has got to be what we’re looking for.”

Aira, who was wading in the water of the cove, spoke. “Yeah, but you have so many, it’ll take ages to find the right one, if it’s even here.”

“Then we should all get looking.” Emily said, looking at the deep blue rock that made up the walls, clutching the amulet in her right hand. The elves and fuschia dolphin nodded in agreement, and started their search.

Emily turned to a shelf with many scrolls of parchment, crouching down, she took and opened them each one by one until she exhausted the bottom shelf. Standing again, she looked to see the elves also looking through chests, cubbies, crevices and the like, finding nothing. 

 

~*~

 

Emily had been searching for what felt like the longest half hour of her life, accumulating a solid pile of maybe fifty scrolls, all of them mapped out parts of Elvendale. Even though Emily couldn’t read what the titles were, she knew not one of them were The Map. And that was just from the entire shelf she searched. Looking to the elves, she saw that they had similar sized piles by their feet. She was at the end of her patience, and about to give up. Then her amulet started glowing and floating to an area behind a pillar of rock. Following it, Emily ended up at a wall made of blue crystal, tucked in a large crevice, around the corner, out of sight from the other elves.

Looking closely, she could see faintly within the crystal an almost new looking parchment scroll. Putting a hand to the freezing surface, Emily realized that it wasn’t crystal, but a frozen waterfall. Thinking, Emily remembered the story her grandmother told her a week before. Just then, she heard her name being called, the amulet abruptly dropped to her chest with a thump.

“I’m over here!” Emily answered, as Azari and Aira rounded to see her, followed by Naida and Farran.

“Looks like this waterfall has been frozen for a long time.” Naida observed, reaching to the sheet. “How did you find this place Emily? This room wasn’t here this morning, it was just a wall back where we entered.”

“I don't know… Just had a feeling something might be back here.”

“This is great and all,” Farran said, “but how are we going to get in there?” 

“I could use a bit of fire power and melt it.”

“Yeah, try that.” Everyone stood back as Azari lit up her hands, summoning two fireballs. Emily stood behind Naida, cautious of the flames that were pouring onto the resisting surface.

“Uh, I don't think it’s melting.” Emily said, Azari promptly stopped, the ice hardly steaming.

“What else could we do?” Farran asked, “Do humans have any ways of melting enchanted ice?” Emily shook her head in answer and thought for a moment, trying to remember her grandmother's story. 

“Well, my grandmother once told me a story that was similar to this. It was about an heir, and her trials to become Queen of the land in her mother’s stead.”

“Alright, anything about unfreezing a wall of ice?” Naida asked, gesturing to the blueish white crystals.

Emily gasped, “Yes actually! The heir found herself in a similar situation, she had to free a relic from the ice, but the walls couldn't be melted by fire, only by a spell. I just have to remember.” Emily crossed her arms, putting a hand on her head and pacing in a small oval as the elves around her eagerly watched. “Maybe…” Emily turned back to the wall, hoping to whatever higher power there was that this would work.

“Ocean of mystery, hear my calls, my only plea, you lower your walls.” The wall chimed back at Emily, the icicles rattling as the waterfall quickly began crumbling into its original form. Emily stood, mouth agape. “Oh my God it worked?!”

“I’ll lift the water, you get the map Emily.” Naida instructed, lifting her hands with a blue glow that guided the curtain away from the parchment within. Emily quickly grabbed the scroll, and Naida let the water fall on its own.

“Open it Emily! What’s on it?” Azari encouraged. Opening the off-white scroll, Emily’s brows furrowed.

“All of that for a blank paper?!” Emily started thinking that she’d never get home, if they couldn’t even find a map how would they find a whole portal?

“What do you mean, blank?” Aira looked over Emily’s shoulder, taking a corner in her hand.

“Well, more really faded, it’s basically useless to us.”

“Let me see.” Farran took the lower right corner and squinted. “I think it’s coming in more now.” Azari and Naida came in behind Emily as well, Azari taking the lower left, Naida the upper right.  
Colored light suddenly shot from the hands of all five of the holders, the parchment glowing orange, green, purple and blue. The white light that came from Emily overtook the other four, ending in a flash. In its wake, was a fully marked map, with a small box in the lower right corner that was blank. 

“This is what we’re looking for then.” Naida, clarified, “All the keys are marked-”

“And my way home is too, in that castle.” Emily pointed to a structure near the top of the map.

“Then let’s get started for the first key, the sun will set in a few hours, we can get the water key at Enki Island by then.”

“Great start Naida, let’s go!”

 

~*~

 

Emily leaned on the bronze colored wood of the boat, looking over her shoulder to the bow and legs tucked under her. All around was pure blue ocean, that lead to even more unknown lands in this magic filled world. Through her apprehension, Emily still thought about how amazing it would be to explore those lands, what dangers, mysteries, beasts, cultures and people she’d meet. Absentmindedly, she looked down at the water.

“Guys, I don’t think we’re moving.”

“Sure we are, we’re going so fast you can’t feel it.” Azari said, laying on top of the cabin part of the boat.

“No actually, we've stopped.” Naida said, sitting up from the seat across from Emily, looking overboard. Aira then jumped up next to the mast.

“We need wind!” Aira bounced on her toes, waving her arms about, “I can make a fan, or a windmill, or some wings, we can have an airship! Yeah an airship, weeee!” Aira giggled to herself.

“Aira, just push some wind into the sails.” Farran said from further down the seat Emily was on. Aira, who visibly remembered that she had magic, turned to the bow, stepping up onto the front-most seat. Looking back, Emily saw that the other three elves had covered their ears.

“Why are you-” Emily flinched, ears pierced by what seemed to be an attempt at singing. The other elves smiled, feebly supporting their vocally dry friend. Aira waved her arms, as if she was balancing the air around her, then shot her arms up and beside her head. Hands glowing with a purple light, Aira pushed them forward, summoning a gust of wind from behind to hit the sail, knocking the boat into motion. Aira turned to Emily, who gave a thumbs up and smile as Azari, Farran and Naida cheered. Aira turned back to focus on guiding the wind into the sails, closer to their destination.

 

~*~

 

“This is the place.” Naida said, holding the map with Azari over her shoulder.

“All I see is a whole lot of ocean.” Azari pried, gesturing around the boat.

“I'm certain that I'm reading the map right.” Then the parchment chimed, making everyone gasp. “Search where many human fears, it lies in wait among the mermaid's tears.”

“Emily, does this make sense? Anything from your story?” Farran asked. Emily huffed a laugh and faced him, leaning on the boat’s railing.

“I can hardly believe I'm in a land where Elves exist, magic is taken seriously, and I'm possibly related to a legendary elf.” Emily straightened up, hand to her amulet. “But-” she sighed, “I know that a lot of people are afraid of the ocean, especially the deep ocean…”

“And pearls are often referred to as mermaid's tears here.” Naida added. “Specifically the pearls of deep sea oysters.”

“Great! But how will we get the key if it's deep down? I don't think any of us can swim that far under.” Emily thought aloud. Naida rolled up the map and handed it to Azari. She knelt, removing a purple door from a diving hole in the floor.

“I can… Try. But it's pretty far down, I can't see anything before the drop off besides a few fish.” Naida sat, her sandals dipping into the water past her shins. “I'll go down and search.”

“The bottom of the ocean?!” Azari's voice brimming with concern and questioning.

“Yes, I will get that key, I promise.” Naida lifted her arms and slipped down into the saltwater, hands glowing blue. The water pushed itself down, making an air bubble for Naida to breathe. She started the dive, her blue dress and translucent blue skirt eventually being absorbed by the navy blue depths.

“Whoa.” Emily whispered.

“And now, we wait.” Farran instructed, going to look over the edge. The rest of them followed suit.

 

~*~

 

“Uh guys, Naida's been under for awhile now, should we look for her?” Emily asked around.

“She'll be fine Emily, she has water magic, and has been bringing air bubbles down every two minutes.” Farran assured.

“Don't worry, Naida will get that key, and we'll get you home.” Aira put a hand on Emily's shoulder.

“It's not that… What if Naida got hurt?” Emily stood, pacing with her arms crossed, “Went too long without air, unconscious, in the dark, alone, nothing and no one around to help---”

“Hey, relax. Stressing yourself out is stressing the rest of us out.” Azari took Emily's arm, pulling her down to sit between herself and Aira. Her hand glowed, relaxing her and removing the intrusive thoughts. “Are you always like this?”

“Oh yeah,” Emily should her head, laughing at herself. “My friends give me grief about it all the time. Oh ‘Emily you’re such a mom friend’, ‘Illy, I'm not going to break my legs if I do this epic flip off of a building’.” The elves looked at her, shocked and amused.

“Oh so you're like Farran!”

“Azari!” Then the water behind them began swirling into a whirlpool, silencing the Earth and Fire elves. They all got up, leaning over the railing to get a better look. Water droplets formed and hung midair, the whirlpool glowing blue then expelling the magic across the water. Naida soon followed, her legs wrapped in a pillar of water as she smiled, gasping for air, holding a white oyster the size of her head.

“Found the key, and dinner!” Naida exclaimed, moving the pillar closer to the boat and stepping off. “Do you like oyster meat Emily?” She asked, setting down the white shellfish on a box

“I’ve had clam before, never oyster.” Emily smiled, forgetting the past few days and just enjoyed the moment. 

Farran opened a crate of vegetables, “Oh you're going to love Azari's oyster chowder then!”

“I'll get drinks!” Aira raised her hand, running inside the cabin. Emily watched the Elves busy themselves with dinner, while pondering what she could do to help.

“Hey Em, could you dip this pot into the water behind you?”

“Are you sure that's healthy Azari?”

“Yeah, the saltwater gives the oyster flavor!” She laughed, Emily taking the pot and leaning over the railing. She looked up and across the water at the horizon, which was beginning to turn orange. Pot still in hand, Emily hesitated before tipping out the excess water and handing it back to the Fire elf who put it on a stand and lit her hands ablaze. The flames danced up from Azari's hot cocoa hands, spiraling around the metal.

Naida handed the oyster meat to Azari, and sat with Emily, holding a bright blue key that was roughly the size of her hand. The top was made of a sky blue metal, shaped into a circle wave emblem. A large blue gemstone was set between the emblem and the body, the smooth oval gem showed her reflection perfectly. 

“Hey Emily, how are you holding up?” 

“Oh.” She lifted her head away from the key, “Well… I think I'm fine.” She thumbed her grandma's amulet, facing the ocean at her back.

“You seem stressed, and, a little sad.” She turned with Emily, trying to look her in the eyes. “Why is that?”

“Well… I've had a rough few days. I’ve been in this world for hours, my parents are going to wonder where I am. And I haven't eaten very well since…”

“Since?”

Emily sniffled, near effortlessly holding back tears. “Since my grandma passed away. It's… empty without her around.”

“Were you close?”

“Everyone was close with her, even if she was a little strange.”

“How was she strange?”

“Well… She was kind. Genuinely kind to everyone, no matter how undeserving they were of that kindness.”

“Being good is, strange?”

“No, I mean... It’s just that humans aren’t as warm to strangers, especially those with a bad reputation. Before today, only my closest circle of friends would be as happy to see me as Aira was when she met me, but even that joy died out long ago.” She clicked her nails on the rail, sighing. “On Earth, if anyone is overly-nice to you, especially if you don’t know them, it’s clear that they want something out of you.”

“Well, I promise that we don’t expect anything from you Emily.” She put a hand on Emily’s arm, “We do want to help you get home.”

“Thanks, you have no idea how grateful I am for you, all of you, to be helping me.” They both looked out to the ocean in silence, the waves rocking the anchored boat. The other three elves talking amongst themselves by the cooking, the occasional ladle dragging on metal could be heard as well.

“Food's ready! Come on over you two.”

 

~*~

 

Emily looked up to the stars of Elvendale, trying to see if she could recognize any constellations that were on Earth. But no matter how hard she searched, Emily could find nothing familiar, reasoning that either there were just so many more visible stars than on Earth; or that she was truly lightyears away from her home, and just seeing the universe at a different angle that no other human had seen before. The elves were fast asleep, no conversation to be had there. She was actively avoiding drifting into an existential daydream; but even then she couldn't stop thinking of how long she'd been gone, so sleep couldn’t claim her. She contented herself with watching shooting stars flit across the cosmos.

She found herself thinking back to when she was a little girl, when she had trouble sleeping. When her grandma came in to check on her because her parents worked all night. She'd sit on her bed, pull her close and just sit with her in silence, the amulet giving a soothing reflection of the moonlight. Then she'd sing...

_“Earth moves the air,_  
_and the wind feeds the fire._  
_Magic is here,_  
_if you dare to believe._  
_Sail out to sea,_  
_on the ocean of mystery._  
_And bring your heart,_  
_to the ones that you meet.”_

And Emily was at peace again, her grandmother stroking her hair and laying her back down. “If you ever feel alone, no matter where we are, always know that I am with you, in spirit and in heart. Whenever you need a reminder of that, remember me, and what I taught you Emily…”

Emily closed her eyes, sleep came easily to her then.

 

~*~

 

“The next key should be up here, right around the crystal hollow.” Naida said, pointing to a spot on the map just inland of the ocean, Azari and Aira coming up behind them. Then the box glowed, revealing the next riddle.

“A pocket that’s never empty, it holds treasures unknown but hardly few, they may be hard to dig into.” Farran read from over Naida’s shoulder and looked over at Emily.

“I’m not entirely certain what it means, maybe gems?” Then something from their feet hissed and chattered at them, making Emily jump back with a gasp. “Oh, just a squirrel, what's it want?”

“I don’t know, let’s see.” Azari pushed Farran ahead of them to the chrome yellow squirrel. He gave a look back at them and stepped forward.

“Hello miss, I’m-” He paused to let the squirrel chatter, “Oh excuse me. Hello Ms.Spry, I’m Farran, Earth elf, we would like to search here for-” The squirrel leapt at Farran's feet, making him step back. Emily stepped closer to Naida, bewildered that such a thing was actually happening to someone who was right in the head.

“This furball thinks she can scare us?” Azari laughed, placing her hands on her collarbone. “Squirrel, please.”

“I don't know, squirrels can be pretty nasty on Earth. Best not piss her off.”

“Ms.Spry if we may just.” She let out a particularly loud hiss, Farran's mouth hung in shock, “There is no need for that sort of language!” Then Emily's amulet chimed, drawing her to look to the end of the treeline.

Wherever that key is, it has to be in that clearing.

“Guys, she has to be guarding something, and I have no doubt it's the Earth key-”

“Right Em,” Azari nodded, “Farran, ask fuzz-face about her storage situation.”

“Does she look like she's in a talking mood?” Then a walnut clocked Farran in the temple, followed by acorns to the rest of the group. One sailed by Emily's face and hit the tree behind her.

“Run to the clearing and fan out! We'll play Hot and Cold with this tree mammal, whoever she pursues is closest to the hiding place!” The elves nodded and they all sprinted out of the shade into the light. Emily ran to a huge grassy mound, many colored crystals stuck out of it every which way along with regular grey stone. Farran followed close behind, until Ms.Spry jumped on a tree and onto Farran's head, sending him down.

“Ah, oh no, uh… Naida! A little help?” The blue haired girl looked up to Emily on the mound, then to a flailing and screaming Farran. Her hands glowing she pulled an orb of water from a nearby creek and dropped it, the squirrel getting away just in time for it to only splash Farran.

“You're welcome.” Emily hopped down from the mound, standing next to her. Aira and Azari came up as well, by Farran's feet. The squirrel bounded up to a flat topped rock in front of a mini cave-in and angrily chattered at them, raising a little paw like a fist while Farran walked right on by. He kneeled down, palms firmly rested on the ground and glowing green.

“The key, it’s in a small cavern in this mound. But it’s all filled in with rocks---”

“Just like your head!” Emily snorted at Azari’s remark, Farran continued on.

“My point being I’ll have to pull all these out, so stand back. We may have a little---”

“Just do it!”

“I am Azari!” They all stepped back, Emily grabbing Ms.Spry from the pathway. Farran stood, growing two thick vines from the thin soil behind him, wrapping the plant around both forearms and latching them into the rocks ahead of him. Green light pulsed up and down the plants as Farran pulled with all his strength and assisting magic. “Move! Now!” The ground rumbled and pebbles fell from the cracks in the rocks as they shifted under the force, Azari grabbed Emily and yanked her over a small ledge, just out of range of the debris. Emily held the girl’s shoulder and peaked over the grass and dirt. Farran had made a shield from the pure form of his magic, saving him from the rocks.

When the dust settled, there it was. A green key nestled right within the glimmering crystals. It looked similar to the water key, but was a lime green and had a forest green three-pointed leaf emblem on the top. The gem a rounded diamond shape and grass green. 

The squirrel squirmed and jumped out of Emily’s hands, blocking Farran from getting closer to the key.

“What does she want now?” Azari groaned, rolling her eyes and crossing her arms. Ms.Spry chattered at Farran, gesturing her arms out.

“She says that we can’t have the key, until we answer a riddle.” He paused to let her speak, “And we each get one guess.”

“That’s unjust, why would a squirrel have any need for that key.”

Emily put her hand on her shoulder, “Come on Aira, we’ve come this far. What’s the riddle Farran?”

The Earth elf looked down and gestured for the squirrel to continue. After some chattering he turned back to the girls. “What being will walk on four legs in the morning, two at noon, and three at night?” Ms.Spry pointed to Farran to go first. 

“Farran’s going to get this right, he knows about every animal there is.” Azari leaned close to Emily.

“Well it has to be some kind of Quadruped for there to be four legs, but also bipedal… Minotaur?” The other elves looked hopeful, until the squirrel shook her head, pointing to Aira next.

“Well, it must be a shape-shifter then! To get the three legs in the evening.” She was wrong as well. “You next Naida.” 

“Hmm, a Wyvern?” Ms.Spry denied the answer again, and was about to point to Aira, until Emily stepped up.

“Could I try?” The animal thought for a moment then agreed to let her go. “A human.” This sent the four into giggles, until the squirrel clicked and stepped aside, Farran looking surprised.

“She’s right. Emily’s right, a human is the answer.” The girls beside her stopped and quietly said their apologies, Emily was just happy they got the key. The brunette stepped past Ms.Spry and took the key, quickly joining the girls again on the boat.

 

~*~

 

Azari sat next to Emily, looking at Aira and Farran awkwardly. Naida reversed the current’s direction, pushing the boat up-river to the next location. Emily admired the foliage along the riverbank, awed by the many crystals that seemed to just grow from the ground like daisies.

“Emily?”

“Yeah Aira?”

“We’re sorry about laughing at your answer earlier.” She turned to them, they all wore guilty eyes.

“Why? You guys weren’t being malicious about it. I’m used to my friends laughing at everything back on Earth, it’s really no big deal.”

“You know…” Azari perked up, her mood making her seem to glow. Or maybe that was her magic. “I never would have thought the answer would be a human.” 

Farran followed, “How did you get that anyway? Humans walk on two legs, just likes elves.”

“Have you heard the riddle before?” Came from the bow.

Emily shifted, her shoulders popping. “I have, it’s actually a pretty popular riddle for children on Earth. But, I heard it, maybe five years ago. My grandmother told us that same riddle when she was watching me and some friends. We thought and guessed for hours on what the answer was, no one got it right.”

“But WHY is the answer human?”

“It’s a metaphor for a human’s lifespan. Morning is when a human is a baby, you’re crawling on four ‘legs’. Noon is the majority of your life, adolescence thru adulthood, you’re on two legs.” She stopped, eyebrows furrowing and lips pinching.

“And evening?” Azari put a hand on Emily’s opposite shoulder.

“Evening is the end of a human’s life, when you’re old and can’t walk or really do anything very well anymore. You usually use a cane, the third leg, to help yourself walk.” She looked at her hands, trying to push away invasive and existential thoughts.

“End of life?”

“Before a human dies, Aira. The night being the dark, lonely, unknown end that every human will face no matter how much we as a species try to put it off.” Shaky breaths were all Emily could muster, until she got ahold of herself and straightened up. “But, there are still two more keys to find. Let’s stay positive, it can only get better from here!” 

 

~*~

 

Emily ducked under a low hanging branch, they had been walking for roughly ten minutes since Naida had tied the boat at the riverbank.

“So where would the next key be exactly?”

“Looks like it'll be right before the lava fields.”

“Lava?!”

“Don't stress Emily, we won't actually go into the fields.” Farran pointed to where the trees thinned out, “We'll stop here to rest and get food.”

“Food?” Emily looked to her left, where a lone but cozy looking building stood. A soft orange glow and faint clattering hummed from within. Then a small red fox jumped onto the counter in the serving window. She put her hands on her heart and gasped.

“Awwww, look at that cute bakery fox!” She fawned, stepping up to the creature and scratching it behind the ears and chin.

“Look at that, Flamey likes you. What's up little guy?” Azari came beside her, leaning on the counter. The red and yellow fox saluted her with his fluffy tail. They all waved back as Emily pulled herself away and opened the map, walking over to a bench next to the lava fall. Azari leaned on her shoulder, a donut in her hand with a bite taken out. Then someone greeted them from the bakery, startling the human.

“Hey, that's just Johnny, he's harmless. Better at baking than combat magic.” Then another, probably fire elf, walked out from the bakery carrying a tray of cinnamon buns. He was Farran's height with short ginger hair, white pants paired with a chrome yellow tunic. Said tunic had red trim and runes along the collar, sleeves rolled up at the elbows.

“Here guys, try the buns, fresh from the oven!” Each of them took a bun. Azari hurriedly pulled some hair over Emily's exposed ear as the elf walked to them. Azari took two buns, and Emily, tucking the map under her arm, took the last bun.

“Thank you.” She held a hand under the bun to keep the icing from dripping, and downed the pastry in five bites.

“Whoa, that hungry this early in the morning?” Johnny asked, Emily sheepishly smiled as she chewed and quickly the last bite down to laugh a reply.

“Eh heh… I have a little sister at home, I've gotten into the habit of eating quickly. But those buns were great, thanks!” She cleaned the last of the icing from her fingers and opened the map again, the box chimed. Emily was about to read the new riddle, but remembered that she didn’t know any of the elven writing. 

“Uh, Azari, I can't read this.” She whispered. The fire elf looked over as the other three conversed with the baker.

“See beyond the falling gold, behind it is what you were meant to hold.” She said, words muffled through her full mouth. “There's no gold around here!”

“Yeah, gold doesn't go well with the bakery aesthetic.” Johnny said, Farran nodding in agreement. Emily, hearing the bubbling of the molten rock behind her, turned to get a better look at the glowing red and yellow flow.

_’The relic she needed was concealed behind the blacksmith’s cascade...’_

“I don’t know, the lava kind of looks like gold.” They all gazed to the pool, then something that sounded like a crackling bonfire started right next to Emily’s ear. She yelped, backing off from the elf as Johnny said “Azari!” in a startled tone. Emily joined the group several feet away from the sparks coming off of Azari's now glowing hair.

“It's here,” She turned over her shoulder, her pupils had turned a bright yellow, “You’re right again.” Azari started to the lava’s edge, stepping onto brown stones that lead to the flow. She set her shoulders back, golden orange magic surged from her hands and arms, merging with the molten rock. Then the lava followed the outward motion of her arms to split down the center, revealing a little grotto behind it. Azari reached into the grotto, to suddenly pull back when the lava closed.

“I need to give my full strength to keep the flow open.” She called to them.

“Now what? The rest of us can’t even get close.” Aira asked.

“Why can’t Johnny keep the lava open?” Emily suggested.

“My magic isn’t nearly as strong, so I can’t get close either. Let alone move the lava.” Then his face lit up, “But Flamey can fit in there!” The little red fox trotted up to them upon hearing his name. Johnny pointed at Azari, “Think you can help buddy?” The fox nodded, a small grin on his snout, he bounded over the rocks and up into the grotto. Azari’s magic began to falter, even from a distance it was clear keeping the lava parted was physically straining. The curtain slowly began to close, and when there was only a sliver of an opening left, the little red fox jumped out, an orange key in his mouth. The flaming magic around Azari faded out as she let the lava go and wrapped her arms around the animal on her shoulder. They all cheered for her and Flamey as she walked back over the rocks, Aira and Naida clapping. 

“You were incredible!” Emily beamed, meeting Azari, intending to hug her.

“Em no!” She pulled back, “We still need to cool down, don’t want you burning yourself on my radiance after all.” She added, giving a shadow of a flirtatious smile.

Emily smiled back, laughing at herself. “Right, of course.” She leaned in towards Flamey, who looked back at her with the orange key in his mouth. The diamond shaped orange jewel that attached the flame emblem to the shaft glimmered with its own internal light. “Thanks so much Flamey, we couldn’t have done it without you. You’re the best.”

“Yes! We have three of four keys now, one to go then Emily can-” Farran quickly put a hand over her mouth.

“Heh heh, then we can have a full set! Right Aira?” 

“Oh! Yeah, that’s right. Full set for Emily’s, uh, key collection?” He lowered his hand from her mouth. Johnny laughed and shook his head.

“Anyway, you’re Emily right?” He set down the tray and approached Emily, who was now sitting with Naida and Azari at a bench.

“Yeah. Emily Jones.” She held out her hand and he shook it, giving her a questioning look. She side glanced to Naida, hoping for an answer.

“What kind of elf are you?” Johnny asked, letting go of her hand.

“Elf? Oh um…”

“It’s a part of our normal greeting, we say our first name, then our magic type and a demonstration.” Naida clarified.

“Oh, that’s what that was. I’m a… Water Elf! Yeah, Water Elf.” She rubbed her amulet with her thumb and looked at the grass beyond Johnny. “I’d show you, but my magic is really weak! Yeah, it’s so weak it may as well not even exist.”

He gave her a sympathetic look. “Oh yeah, we’ve known a few elves like that. Don’t worry, I’m sure your magic will develop in time.”

“Well! We really have to get going, this was a lovely break. Thanks for the buns Johnny, but we really have to go.” Farran said, hurriedly giving the baker some coins, each with a different colored jewel encrusted in the center. “Aira, grab those cookies for the road.”

“Thank you all, I’ll see you later. Farheell!” Johnny waved to them, walking past Aira and back to the bakery. 

“Farheell Johnny!” And they continued on, over the hill, towards the mountain range beyond the fields of lava.

 

~*~

 

“There's absolutely no way we could possibly get all the way over there in one day.” Emily said, looking out across the valley to the next mountain range, her heart sinking with the thought of her parents’ worry. Even with Farran's Earth magic carrying them, they could only get three fourths up the mountain before the plants stopped growing.

“The key is definitely this way though. We just need to cross the rest of the Silad mountain-”

“And then the whole valley, and then another mountain.” By muscle memory, Emily reached to her back pocket to check her phone, but she had left it in her room the previous morning. She pulled the plain navy blue cloak tighter around her shoulders, looking away from the elves who were huddled around the map. Overhead, Emily heard and felt the air being disturbed, she raised her eyes to see two of the most beautiful creatures she'd ever seen in her life. Both white, with short violet manes and tails, their dove-like wings lifting their horse bodies through the air with hardly any difficulty.

Naida came up beside her, her pale blue cloak gently moved with the mountain breeze. “Oh wow, that's quite a sight. These are-”

“Pegasi.”

“Do you have any on Earth?”

“No, they're just a myth. Never in my life though, would I have thought I’d see something as gorgeous.”

“Oh, a shame. If it's any consolation, Pegasi are very rare here.” Emily nodded, a thought popping into her head.

“Hey Aira, would you by any chance be able to talk to Pegasi?”

“I could, why?” Her brows rose, “Oh! I get what you mean!” Then her face fell, “But I've only talked to birds before, and it's always just forest drama anyway.”

“Could you try… please?”

“You can do it Aira, it's not like you're going to debate a dragon.” Aira smiled at Farran and took a breath, walking to the edge of the cliff. With a wave of her hands and stray sparks of magic, a gust of wind found its way to the winged equines. With their attention turned to the five below them, they looked at each other and dove down.

Very quickly.

“Are, are they going to stop?!” Emily backed up the farthest, her back nearly against stone and hand gripping the hem of Farran's pine green cloak. Just as Emily thought the Pegasi would run them over, they had slowed with two beats of their wings, sending up dirt when landing, blowing Emily's hair and cloak back. The Pegasi neighed and rumbled to Aira, she turned and walked them to the group.

“This is Starshine,” She put her hand on the neck of the Pegasus with two purple swirls around the eyes. “And Rufus.” She patted the one with blue swirls around the eyes. “They want to help us.”

“Well great, let's go then!”

“But two Pegasi can't carry five people over a mountain. We'll need something for both of them to carry us in.” Aira looked farther up the mountain path. “Come on, let's see what we can find.”

As they continued up the path, Azari nudged Emily. “Someone's desperate to build something, can you tell?” She said, holding a wink the whole sentence. Before Emily could get a reply in, Aira called out to them. 

“Found it! I'll use wood from this old windmill, that'll do perfectly.” Emily sat beside Farran, watching as Aira began her work.

 

~*~

 

Another half hour had passed, and Aira’s sleigh was almost complete.

“I highly doubt this thing would pass an FAA inspection.” Emily stated, wide-eyed as Aira went about her process.

“What's that?”

“An inspection humans do to see if an aircraft is stable enough to carry passengers.”

“Then I agree, whatever flight we go on won't be safe.” He leaned back on a rock, crossing his arms. She leaned forward, elbows resting on her knees.

“All aboard!” Aira announced a few minutes later, they rose and walked to the purple sleigh.

“Do you really think it'll fly? Doesn't look like it'd get very good lift.” Emily asked Farran.

“I don't know, it might. But knowing Aira, it won't be stable on the first go.” 

“How, reassuring…” They filed into the sleigh, Emily in the back and middle, Farran and Azari on her left and right respectfully. Aira and Naida took the front, as they were both excited to see how this would go.

“Bad idea.” Azari gripped the side of the vehicle with both hands, her knuckles paleing.

“Really bad idea.” Farran agreed to himself, then he noticed Aira had turned around, “Oh uh, this is great Aira!” His face falling back into nervousness. The pegasi were harnessed and took a stance, Aira lifted her arms, building up her magic. Emily grabbed Azari’s arm, pressing her forehead into her yellow cloak as the Pegasi started running.

“If I pass out, do not wake me up until we land.”

“Will do Emily! Starshine, Rufus, give us wings!” Aira swept the winds towards the Pegasi’s opened wings. In two wingbeats, the sleigh’s wings opened from the underside, and they had lift-off. Farran and Emily yelling all the while, Azari silently clenched her teeth. Emily’s cries quickly turned to laughter as they gained altitude, she turned away from Azari’s shoulder and her laughing grew into whooping.

“This is awesome!”

“Em, stop your yelling, who knows what those animals might do.”

“Yes, please stop!”

“You stop your vocfollis too Farran!” The pegasi carried them further up and through the clouds. To Emily, it was like walking through fog, but even lighter, maybe cold steam. Everyone had settled down once their path had leveled off. Naida and Aira were looking at the map, trying to find a route to the wind key.

“We know it’s on the tallest peak of this range, but we have yet to get a riddle for the approximate location.” Naida relayed back. Emily, still giddy from the excitement, turned to Azari.

“You alright?”

“Yeah, I just… don’t like being this high up.” She panted and put her head against the wood.

“Well, at least you don’t have to worry about getting flies in your mouth this high up.” Azari smiled and laughed a little.

“Well all I want in my mouth are these cookies.” Emily snorted.

“What?” Farran asked.

“I could think of a few friends of mine that would’ve said something vastly different than ‘cookies’. Let’s stick with that.” He shrugged and offered the bag to her, which she accepted, taking a chocolate chip one.

“Oh! Here’s the riddle guys!” Naida called, Aira brought her face to the map.

“It rests at the castle of the skies, sing a song to ease the cries, off the one for her sister grown old, to where the Fifth left this world.”

“Oh no.”

“What? Why ‘oh no’?”

“I was afraid we’d have to go there for the key.”

“Why Farran? Is the castle dangerous?”

“Maybe, but it’s definitely cursed.” Naida said, her arm draped over the back of her seat. “It’s been plagued by a storm for decades, no one would even dare go up there.”

“Uh huh, but for the past five days now, elves from all around have tried to get up to the castle. But they all return with their magic weakened and memory faded.” Aira added

“But, we’d have to have gone to the castle anyway, for the portal.”

“But now it’s a matter of if we even get that key. You see that storm up there?” Azari pointed to a peak where the clouds were a purple toned grey, and a single prick of light shone from just above it.

“Yeah.”

“That’s where the castle is. That storm has lasted for the past 40 years, gradually getting worse and worse.” One of the clouds flashed as a white bolt of lightning struck the air, followed by faint thunder to highlight Azari’s point. “And it seems it’s reached its most violent point since last week.” Emily pushed down her nerves, confident that they all could do this, they had come this far.

She couldn’t lose her nerve now.

 

~*~

 

They flew on in silence. Emily had been given the three keys they had collected, and she held them in both hands. Looking on, the storm became bigger and bigger, the silhouette of a three towered castle became more detailed. Clouds had long since hidden the sun, making the already cold air frigid.

Its walls were once cream colored, now dulled and grown over with thorny vines. The towers had also dulled with age, the vines beginning their strangle up. Bright purple rooftops were turned dark, and looked to be missing pieces. Plantlife in the courtyard and along the pathway up to the front had withered, leaving only their skeletal branches. The already thin pathway up to where the castle sat was broken in some places, leaving a precarious fall to any traveller not paying attention. The only source of light came from the main tower, a white orb of light that faded to starry black in the center. But even that light was pained, sending out tiny volts of lightning every few seconds. Emily couldn’t help but be put right back into the mindset she was at for the past few days.

“It looks, so miserable.” Was all she could muster to say, the elves solemnly agreed.

“I’ll try to land on the roof, that’s where the portal seems to be.” But before Aira could guide the pegasi up, another bolt crossed their path, spooking the equines and shaking the sleigh. Any and all attempts to move around was foiled, as if the castle didn’t want them going further.

“Let’s land in front, we’re not getting anywhere like this.” Farran said, and Aira changed their course downward, landing smoothly on the dry grass, unaware that they were being watched.

Emily was the first out, hopping over the back. The wind there was especially strong, whipping her hair and cloak back as she walked to the grand archway. There, a decorated purple door served as the entrance. Vines that grew on the walls had also sealed the door shut.

“I’ll handle this.” Farran stepped ahead of the group, summoning his magic and pulling the vines back. But when he let go, they grew themselves onto the door again. He huffed, “You girls go ahead, I’ll hold them and catch up.” Emily and the other three stepped up to the roots of the weeds, ready for Farran to try again. Once he got the vines out of the way, the girls jogged inside.

“Alright Farran, your turn!” He cut off his magic and ran to them, but before he could make it, the vines grew back, this time into a woven wall, keeping him out.

“Farran!” They cried, meeting him at the vines.

“I can’t go with you guys, I’m sorry.” He said, holding the vines like an inmate would hold their prison bars.

“It’s alright, thank you for helping us this far.”

“You’re welcome Emily, now go on and get home.” She smiled, heart inflating with gratitude. She turned to Naida, Aira and Azari, who were waiting in the dark foyer.

“Now where do we go?”

“I’m thinking through that door.” Naida pointed to a section of wall where a smaller archway was, positioned in the third section of the five that were on the wall. Azari walked to the lava moat, the only source of light in the castle. She turned her head down to a tile with a flame emblem engraved on its surface and kneeled down, placing her hand on the tile. The magic being pulled from Azari made the emblem glow orange, then travel into the moat and push a piece of the floor up to act as a bridge. More magic ran in flame patterns across to the door and up the frame, summoning a staircase up.

“Go.” She whispered, the three girls walked across to the stairs. Once they had crossed, the fire elf stood, ready to cross herself. When she lifted a foot to the bridge, it sunk back into the fires. “Tch, figures.”

“Can’t you summon it again?” Azari answered by flicking sparks from her palms.

“Magic’s out. Some sort of charm is blocking my powers.” Emily stepped to her, but was stopped by Aira.

“Come, we have to keep moving.” Emily turned back to Azari.

“There are no words to say how thankful I am for your help.” Azari smiled and sat at the lava’s edge.

“And there are no words to express how thankful I am for you.” She said with a wink, Emily’s heart fluttered a beat and she bowed her head. She turned and followed Naida and Aira up the stairs and down a short hallway that let out into the courtyard. Walking the path through brambles that were once proud rose bushes. Trees that could have been Purple Leaf Plum trees were devoid of life, but were neatly planted along the dirt walkway. With every step, she felt more and more familiar with the place, as if she had been there before. Or it was the shell of what she heard described from one of her grandma’s stories.

“Emily, are you okay?”

“Huh? Yeah, I’m alright Naida.”

“You’re crying.” Emily’s brow rose, quickly wiping away stray tears.

“Just memories. This place it’s… so familiar.” She looked to her right, at a statue of a bipedal dragon with a jagged wing membrane. The stand the figure stood on was surrounded by purple crystals, one crystal was carved into a diamond shape and rested on the dragon’s head.

_“She passed the statue of the guardian, and continued through the gardens. At the path’s end was yet another door, embellished with sapphires. In order to pass, water must be fed to the three planets, and another of her escorts would need to stay behind.”_

“Whoa, how’d you know that?” Aira’s voice made her look up, and there it was, right in front of her. A plain wooden door, embellished with large sapphires. Above the frame, were three marble spheres, two on either side, and one above where the two doors met. Each sphere had an opening in their center, and a dark blue jewel above that. Beside the end of the path were two fountains with more of the purple crystals that had been around the statue.

“Wh- how?” Her grandmother’s story suddenly all came back to her, but it wasn’t JUST a story anymore.

“So, going by what you just said, I’m guessing Naida will have to get the water from those fountains, into the spheres. And then the door will open.”

“And I’ll have to stay behind to keep it open.”

“So, this is goo--- farheell then?”

“No. Farheell for now.” Naida held her arms out, blue light shone from her palms, grabbing onto the water and guiding two streams into the side spheres. As more water was added, the gems began to glow until they shone with a bright blue light. Water that was fed into the two spheres was then channeled up into the third one above the door, unlocking it. Emily stole one last look back at the water elf, and then led Aira into another dark corridor. Slowly, the doors behind them closed, leaving only small purple crystals to light the way.

“Excited to be going home?” Aira’s voice softly echoed off the walls.

“Yes, very! But also, anxious…”

“Why? We’ve gotten so far! We are steps away from the portal, we can do this!”

“You think?”

“I know.” Aira took her by the shoulders, “Because we’re getting to the roof, getting that key from the guardian, and getting you home.” Her ear flicked down the hall and smile faltered, “Do you hear that?”

“Hear what?” Emily strained herself to hear, only making out what she thought to be footsteps followed by a horse’s questioning rumble. She and Aira continued down towards a staircase leading up. As they rounded the corner, Emily came face to muzzle with a white nose, startling both parties. The horse huffed, raised its head and lifted two golden wings, the purple wisps and gold sparkle markings around the eyes wrinkled into a scowl. Aira blocked Emily with her body, sending out her magic like she did with the Pegasi that brought them there. The scowl relaxed and the Pegasus bowed to the elf, and she bowed in return.

“This is Goldenglow,” Aira put a hand under the Pegasus’ chin, “She says you can go with her.”

“You have to stay back too?”

She nodded, “I'll be right here at the bottom of the stairs, you'll be fine Emily. We believe in you!” Emily, moved by how far the elves went to help her, couldn't hold herself anymore. Aira, momentarily surprised at the outburst, returned her hug.

“Thank you, for coming this far for me, even though you didn't know me before yesterday.” She said, holding back a whimper.

“Anything to help a friend in need.” Pulling apart, Emily turned to the Pegasus, who knelt for her to get on. Throwing her leg over the creature's gold marked neck, she pulled herself up and gripped her golden mane. Goldenglow walked to the far wall of the corridor, turned, and galloped to the staircase. In a single wingbeat, they were flying up the wide stairs, much faster than if she had simply walked. Before Emily knew it, they had landed on the roof, right next to large stairs that lead to the portal frame.

“Hello? I-is there anyone up here?” She dismounted the Pegasus and held the keys up to her chest. Glow had taken to trotting to the far side of the portal, where a royal purple throne sat, nestled in the corner. A figure--- a woman, stood from her seat.

She was tall, maybe her mother's height. Lavender hair had been neatly styled into two thick curls on either side of her jawline. Golden wings sprouted from behind her ears as a headpiece, matching the staff she held in her left hand. Her white robes had golden designs that ran down the center of the bodice and continued onto the skirt. White feather shoulder pads crossed her shoulders, attaching a dark purple cloak to her back. Whoever this was, was the epiphany of royalty. She hadn't even glanced at Emily before she turned to face the mountains were they had come from.

“No one has ever made it this far.”

“I didn't th-”

“Do not fool me!” The Queen shouted, the portal sending out lightning to match. She raised her staff, the blue jewel between the wings of her staff shone a blinding light. But when she saw Emily, the light dimmed and portal calmed. Her narrow grey eyes softened, then revealed their hurt.

“You imposters are getting smarter.”

“Miss Guardian if I may just-” The woman raised her hand, hushing the teen.

“Why must you insult me with her image…” She rested her hand on her hip, where the fourth key was tucked into a golden cord belt. A light purple shaft with dark purple wings on either side of a sugilite teardrop jewel. 

“Why must you give me hope that you're her heir? You can't possibly be her.” She turned to the portal, leaning her head on her staff, knuckles becoming white. “Why can't I be left in peace…?”

The amulet hummed, reacting with the jewel on the queen's staff, and the jewels on the keys.

_’Sing a song to ease the cries, of the one for her sister grown old.’_

Thunder rolled from the portal and sprinkles of rain fell on them as the queen shuddered. Emily gently stepped to the woman, who looked forlornly to the mountain skies.

“Earth moves the air…” The queen straightened, her grip on the staff relaxing. “And the wind feeds the fire.” Another, softer roll of thunder came from the portal, but faded out with the clouds. “Magic is here, if you dare to believe…”

“Sail out to sea, on the ocean of mystery.” She joined Emily in the duet.

“And bring your heart, to the ones that you meet.” They both ended, the skies had cleared and the sun shone bright as the jewels in the keys. Even the castle looked less black, the thorn vines receded, foliage bloomed in the courtyard below them. The woman looked to Emily, her expression became reminiscent of her grandmother's. Even still, she still held denial in her eyes.

“I… I understand I may not have been who you were expecting. You’re clearly grieving, but please ma'am, I want to help you in any way I can.”

She strode to Emily, a hand reaching to push a lock behind her ear. Her thumb ran to the top and stopped at the little point that had formed, like if someone took Emily’s ear and pinched the top and side together. The woman lingered and stepped back.

“Impossible, she couldn't have grown up this quickly…” She muttered. Emily was about to speak when she was hushed again.

“To be certain, I must ask you one thing.”

“Please, I’ll answer anything.” A moment of silence passed between them, the woman sighed and turned to her.

"Your search has nearly come to an end, with each element you found a friend. To go home you've passed every game, except... what is my name?” Emily stammered, she had never met this woman before in her life, how would she know what her name was?

_’At the top of the tallest tower stood a proud woman, her eyes grey as a springtime storm. She held her staff towards the heir, white robes and lavender hair whipping in the storm’s fury. In a commanding voice, she spoke._

_’”I am---”’_

“---Skyra the Stormmaker.” The woman’s brow rose, and a smile graced her lips.

“It really is you then. Oh, I haven’t seen you since you were a baby.” Skyra looked to the amulet that rested behind the keys, taking it in her hand. She chuckled, dropping the amulet and resting her hand on Emily’s shoulder. “I’ve forgotten how quickly humans grow up, how careless of me.”

“I’m relieved that you believe I’m who you were expecting. But wouldn’t everyone know your name here?”

“Here, I’m known as the Guardian of the Portal, not the Stormmaker. Only your grandmother called me that, before she volunteered to live in the world where elves become human.” Skyra raised her hand, bringing the keys into the air and guiding them to the corresponding locks on the portal frame.

“My friends, could I say goodbye to them?”

“Of course.” She turned to the Pegasus, and with a wave of her hand Goldenglow flew off the rooftop, leaving Skyra and Emily alone.

“Skyra, how do you know I’m even ready for this?”

“I don’t. But neither did your grandmother when we decided to allow her to cross. She was just as nervous as you are, not knowing what the future held for her. But no matter what, she had empathy, she cared deeply about others and felt their pain even if they couldn’t. She couldn’t bear the notion of anyone else losing their immortality for the sake of Elvendale. You’ve shown similar resolve, when you forgot about your own needs in the place of another’s. 

“So Emily, it’s not a matter of being ready now, it’s your potential to grow and become ready when the time requires.” Skyra lifted her staff to the portal, “You are free to walk on the soils of both worlds Emily, I know of no one better for the task, than you.”

“Emily!” Came from the stairs and the front. Azari and Farran riding on Skyra’s Pegasus, while Naida was pushed up by Aira’s magic, followed shortly by the elf. They all closed in on her in an excited group hug.

“Thank you all again, for your kindness and hospitality. I’ll never forget you.” They pulled away, Aira still holding her arm.

“That’s right, because you’ll come back to see us. Right?” Azari leaned to her, shoulders up and her eyes hopeful.

“Of course, there’s no way I could stay away from any of you.”

“We know you will.” Aira said, hugging her again. The elves then stepped back as she walked up to the portal’s platform.

Skyra tapped her staff on the stone floor, “Remember the people and experiences that tie you to your home. Envision and feel their love for you and your love of them, your key will do the rest.” Emily nodded and turned to the black expanse before her. 

She thought of how her childhood friends would make her laugh till her sides hurt. Love and loss she had endured with them, how they made her determined to stay strong and march forward. Her parents, making her feel loved and accepted in the world she shared with them. The same weightless feeling washed over her as the magic from the portal held her. She turned around midair to wave goodbye to her newfound friends, and she was pulled through. They faded out, no longer seen through the white light of the doorway.

 

~*~

 

_On the other side, she was floating in the starfield again, this side blue and yellow like the afternoon she had just left, around her were the same stars that had brought her to the world. They floated around her again, less vigorously as she was gently guided down, the blue and yellow turning into orange, yellow and navy blue. The stars that spiraled around her dispersed and she was set down on a glimmering pathway leading to a little point of light that flicked like a candle. Each step she took lit up the path around her foot and gave a small chime._

_As she reached the light, her amulet chimed and it reacted, shining a multicolored light. From that light, an outline of a woman rose, the light of her form faded out, revealing a solid body that held the light between watery hands. Emily’s eyes traveled up arms that turned from water to plant life, up to a primarily african looking face that was lovingly molded from clay. Lips like geodes and hair made from smoke and ash billowed from her head, magma glowed from the cracks and missing pieces of her face and body. Iridescent, multicolored jewels met green irises. The titan blinked slowly, her eyes now white lights and a smile upon her already gleeful face. A quick motion of her hands opened the portal completely, a hand on the top and bottom._

_This time, Emily didn’t need to be guided through._

 

~*~

 

Entranced by what she had just been through, she didn’t register that her father was calling out for her until he shook her shoulders.

“Emily! Where were you, you didn’t come in last night we were worried sick! We called your phone, all your friends, the neighbors, your mother even went by the old factory!”

“Sorry dad, I just…” She need to think of an excuse quick, “I was out at the old fort, I accidently fell asleep out there. I didn’t hear you calling.” She threw her arms around him, “I’m so sorry for worrying you and mom, I know this is hard for you, but I just needed some time away from everyone.”

Her father signed, hugging her back, “I understand, but please for the love of God give us a warning that you’re staying out.”

“I will next time.” Her father noticed and held the navy blue fabric of the cloak she forgot she was wearing.

“Where’d you find this?”

“Oh, I just… found it by a tree and thought it was neat. It also, kind of reminded me of grandma.” His eyes wrinkled beneath his glasses, he’d accept that answer.

“Let’s get inside, one of your friends came over and made breakfast for us.”

“Alright.” Her father turned and walked out of the glade and she followed, stopping at the edge, she looked back on the twisted oak, with leaves a richer green than the surrounding trees.

_When we meet again._


	2. Crushing It

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Special thanks to my proof-reader Dragon Queen on amino for helping me with the ending! I couldn't have done it without her.

Emily was bewildered at how Aira and the little songbird were going at it. The robin sized bird flitted and darted around the elf’s head, chirping rapidly as Aira responded with “no way”s and “nuh uh”s. 

It had been a month since Emily had first stumbled into Elvendale, but she had visited twice between then and now. The elves were elated to have the human around to show off to. Emily was happy to be welcomed to her own little friend group; One that was immune to stories of all the embarrassing and sometimes questionable things she did back home. In short, Emily didn't need to front around them.

But, they still found plenty of things about her to be surprised at. Like how she couldn't understand any animals, she’d either need them to translate or she'd simply be able to figure out basics.

“She actually said that?!” The little bird twittered back a response before flying off.

“That sounded pretty intense.” Emily said, reaching the other side of the log bridge and passing the Wind elf, keeping eye contact. Azari had jumped up ahead of them, Naida and Farran just getting across.

“Pluma and the other birds have all the gossip and information.” Emily laughed and turned her head to watch where she was walking.

Until she was smacked in the face with a tree branch.

“GaAH”, was what came from Emily as her hand went to her face and she fell back into Aira, who lost her balance and was caught by Farran.

“Whoa there that was a close one Aira. Be careful now girls.”

“Emily! Oh I'm so sorry are you okay?”

“Oh yeah, sure thing! Geez, that branch came for my life…” Emily stood, brushing off her shorts and rubbing her nose. Looking to the pair, she couldn't help but see the faintest blush light up Aira's cheeks.

“I'd better not see anymore funny business out of you, branch!” Farran joked, accusedly pointing to the pink leaved tree. He held Aira's opposite shoulder with his free hand. She folded her hands and beamed at him, quickly toning it down when he looked at her.

“Uh… Hey Aira! Naida! Let's show Emily this Jackalope!”

“Jackalope?”

“Yeah, a Jackalope. Come on!” Azari pulled Emily's arm past the trees as the other two followed.

“I'll be over here checking on nutrient levels.” Farran took out a field journal from his belt and headed left of the bridge. Azari situated everyone in a space between the trees and leaned to Aira, touching her arm.

“What was that?!” Azari hushedly said.

“Did you and Farran finally…?” Naida added.

“No! That was, I don't know! What should I do?” Aira began hyperventilating. “It was probably nothing, oh but what if it was something? Emily??” Aira looked to her with pleading eyes.

“I uh, I don't… Wait what are we on about?”

“Aira's been getting the flutters for Farran since forever now.”

“No I haven't!”

“I'm going to agree with Azari on this.”

“Not you too Naida! Emily what do you think?”

The human pursed her lips and fiddled with her now slightly pointed ear. “I hardly know any of this myself. My friends say I'm so oblivious to any sort of advances, that I'd need to be hit in the face with the ‘I'm flirting with you’ brick. Or else I just think people are being nice.” The girls looked at her in horror.

“The brick is a metaphor!” Emily added, putting her hands up in a ‘stop’ motion. “Someone would need to outright say they like me like that for me to get it.”

“Ahh…” They understood in unison, Azari and Naida squinting in thought. Then Azari snapped her fingers.

“You need to flirt like a human!”

“What?” Aira and Emily said. Aira more curious, Emily simply taken aback at the logic.

“Yeah! You've been too subtle, he's not getting it! Hit him with the brick Aira!”

“Humans were known to be pretty bold with a lot of what they did.” Naida said, “Courtship is bound to be no different.”

“Then let's do it! Follow my direction Aira.” Azari lead the way back to where Farran was.

 

~*~

 

“You have the plan?”

“Yeah, drop something of mine and if he picks it up, he's interested.”

“But that’s just being a decent---”

“Too late, go for it Aira!” They all crouched behind the purple and pink leaved bushes as Aira undid the bracelets on her wrists. With a little magic, they were lifted into the air and sent towards Farran, who was talking with Ms.Spry.

“Oh dear!” Aira called out as the wind swayed the trees. Emily shook her head in disbelief as the bracelets sailed through the air, narrowly missing a startled Farran's head. He picked up the feathered accessory and furrowed his brow at it.

“That didn't work…”

“Em, what else do humans do to show affection?”

“Well, gift giving is pretty big, I know a lot of people who love collecting stuff.”

“Perfect! What do we get?” Azari asked as all three of them looked to Emily.

“Um, basic gifts could be anything really. Food, candies, stuffed toys. You can never go wrong with gems and jewelry.”

“That's cool, but anything we can get like, right now?”

“Oh, flowers! Find out what his favorite flowers are and get them for him.”

“No time, Aira, see those blooms right there?” Azari pointed to a patch of tree blooms that had fallen from their branches.

“Ah, gotcha.” Aira summoned her magic, focusing it on the pile. Leaves were dragged up with the blooms in spirals. Gently, she moved them towards Farran, but only a few of blooms got to him.

“More power!” Azari urged. Aira obliged, this time more leaves were sent to him, but nothing he'd notice.

“Get all the flowers at once Aira, he thinks it's just windy.” Naida suggested. With a sharp intake of breath, Aira moved her hands to one side of her body, successfully picking up the bunch. In one broad motion, Aira swept all the blooms to Farran.

Nailing him in the face.

Emily roared out laughing, hand over her mouth trying to stifle the sound. Naida’s mouth, even though it was covered, was an O.

“I get it, you all want to impress Emily with magic, that's cool! But we're not supposed to prank each other with it!” Farran pulled a dusty blue flower from his mouth.

“Sorry! Lost control there for a second, it won't happen again.” Farran shook the remaining leaves from his brown hair, grinning to himself. Aira levitated her bracelets back to their huddle and clicked them back on.

“Now what? I can't tell if he returns the feeling.” Emily put her hand to her amulet, slowing her breathing and flicking a tear from her eye.

“So Azari, what's your plan B?”

“Depends, are humans competitive?”

“Very, why?” Azari smirked at her, followed by a knowing look from Naida and a confused one from Aira. 

“No, no, we are not playing that game. Nothing good comes out of that game.” Emily backed away from them, only to be pulled back by Azari.

“This is the only way to make Aira work up the nerve to talk to him. Get in there!” Azari pushed her out of the bushes. Emily tripped over her own feet and landed halfway between the girls and Farran.

“Emily, are you okay?”

“Yeah,” She rolled onto her back and crossed her legs and arms, looking up at Farran standing over her, “I'm good Farran, you?”

“About the same as I was a minute ago. What did you think of the Jackalope?”

“The Jackalope? Oh well, it’s a rabbit with antlers, just like the stories.”

“Cool, uh… Why are you still on the ground?”

“Just enjoying the view.”

_Oh f--- ___

__“The view?” He lowered a brow and tilted his head. Emily looked to the bush and saw Aira’s nose wrinkle, her mouth a tight line. Next to her was an equally peeved and white eared Azari, Naida watching from the side, not knowing how to process the situation._ _

__“Yeah, you should try it! Get a worm’s point of view!”_ _

__“Ok, I’ll be sure to try that sometime.” He lifted his hand, growing a vine under her back to lift her back to standing._ _

__“Hahaaa, good talk!” Emily snapped her fingers, holding double finger guns, “Annyywayy we should... move on to something else!”_ _

__Azari ran from the bush, “Great idea Em let’s go!” and took her arm, rushing her off and sending a look back at Farran, eartips still white._ _

__

__~*~_ _

__

__Sunset was starting to grace the sky when the group arrived at a ravine. Naida turned over her shoulder and made a motion with her head to watch. Magic shone from her hands and curled up around her forearms, connecting with a waterfall on the opposite ledge of the chasm and bringing one end to their side._ _

__Next to her, Aira summoned her own magic, bringing down cold mountain air and freezing the flow in place, creating a bridge of ice. The light of the setting sun refracted off the ice crystals, sending rainbows around like a diamond. Azari ran up ahead, eager to be the first across. As Emily walked over the bridge, she made sure to keep her eyes ahead and slightly down to avoid slipping. But halfway over, she couldn’t help but admire the elves’ magicwork._ _

__“This is such beautiful work. It’s just so amazing what you all can do with your mag--- aah woaahhhh!” Of course, the moment Emily started moving her head around she’d slip, and she would have gone over the edge if Farran hadn’t grabbed her arm._ _

__“You’re just falling across the land today Emily!” He put a hand on her back till she got herself balanced again._ _

__“Yeah,” Emily slid down the other end of the bridge, where Naida and Azari looked to an increasingly peeved Aira. “I think that apple I ate earlier was a little fermented.” They continued on to a forest path that lead between sparsely growing trees and flowers. The sky had quickly turned orange, the horizon behind them revealing the stars. Emily came beside Aira’s left, feeling the negativity washing off of her._ _

__“Hey, Aira. I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to make you feel---”_ _

__“No it’s not you, Farran was just helping.”_ _

__Emily raised her brows and put a hand on Aira's shoulder. “Is that all?” Aira pursed her lips and swayed her head._ _

__“I… may have been a teensy bit jealous when Farran held you.”_ _

__“I can see that.”_ _

__“But we're friends! We're all friends, and an awesome team! No way will I wreck all that because of the flutters.” She crossed her arms, curtly nodding to herself._ _

__“That's pretty bold of you Aira.”_ _

__“Really? Wow, I wish there was a name for that, it would sound so much cooler.”_ _

__“There is, at least on Earth.”_ _

__“What is it?” Emily held out her right pinky. Aira looked at her questioningly, but curled her own around Emily's anyway._ _

__“We're friends, someone having a crush doesn't change that. Sisters before misters.”_ _

__“‘Sisters before misters’, I like that.” They snickered amongst themselves until Farran grunted beside them._ _

__“Oh… Where did that tree come from?” He laughed at himself and groaned, rubbing his forehead. Azari and Naida had stopped and were looking their way._ _

__“Go on ahead, I got it!” Emily offered, turning to Aira she offered her pinky again. “I promise, there is no chemistry between me and Farran, he's all yours.” She whispered._ _

__Aira accepted again, “Thank you.” She dropped her hand and walked up to join the other girls up front. Emily stepped to Farran and offered her hand._ _

__“Now who's falling all over the land?” They grabbed the other's forearm, Emily pulling him up._ _

__“Okay you got me. This has happened, I don’t even know what this is.” He rubbed the lightning shaped mark on his right cheek, gazed up ahead to Aira, Emily following. “Is it the flutters or---? I just… wow.” He sighed._ _

__“Someone has it bad.” She said, smacking his bicep with the back of her hand. In the fading light, she could see his cheeks and ears turn a rose color. With a goofy grin on his face, he started walking ahead, Emily following with a smirk._ _

__“Come on, let’s catch up with them.” Farran brushed off a stray leaf that had gotten stuck to his pants. A good way up the trail, the three girls were having a friendly conversation. Once Emily and Farran managed to catch up to them, the two quickly caught on to the conversation._ _

__“You and Farran definitely have flutters for each other.” Naida made eye contact with Emily through her peripheral._ _

__“I hope so, but either way I won’t worry about it coming in the way of our friendship.” Aira, with her back turned to the two coming up, presented both of her pinkies to Naida and Azari. They said, in hushed unison._ _

__“Sisters before misters.”_ _


	3. The Heart's Hearth

“Video diary entry 364, 11:45pm.” Emily switched the item to her other hand and turned, the portal tree to her back. “It’s about time we switched locations up a little bit, so here I am, outside in a location that I will not disclose.” She pointed her finger and smiled to the screen, which reflected her image.

“Hey Emily, what’s that?”

“NAIDA!” Emily jumped, throwing the pink device up. She scrambled to catch it and tapped a place on the screen. “Oh my God.”

“Sorry.” The Water elf took a step to her, “I didn’t mean to startle you. But why are you talking to a slate?”

Emily laughed, “It’s not a slate, it’s called a phone. I was recording an entry for my video diary.”

“Vid Ee Oh?”

“Yeah, video. It’s… It’s a moving picture with sound.”

“Like a painting?”

“Sort of, but no paint and it’s much faster, like this.” Naida looked over her shoulder as Emily played back what she said, then Naida gasped.

“We should do one! Show the human world how elves live!”

“I don’t know if that’s a good idea, exposing Elvendale like that.” She thought for a moment.

_But, I could set it to private, I don’t need to show it to everyone… Only my closest friends will see it and I know they’d never rat this out._

“Actually, yeah… Let’s do it!”

 

~*~

 

“Annnd rolling!”

“What?”

“That means you can start.” Emily stage whispered.

“Oh, okay!” Naida cleared her throat, “Hello observers, my name is Naida Riverheart. I’ve invited Emily to give her and you guys a little tour of my home!” She moved to the railing, where plants grew up over the edge from the mini garden, “So, I live on a houseboat, which is pretty handy if I ever need to go up the coast for something.”

“That’s pretty cool! Do you ever get sea sick?” Asked Emily.

“Oh no, never. But I do sometimes get a little woozy on land though, all the trees and dirt give me mild vertigo.”

“Oof, that sucks, I’ve had vertigo before. It is not fun.”

Naida nodded, “Speaking of dirt, that’s what I forgot to do before you started recording. We had a little ocean storm last night.”

Emily panned down to the deck, where seaweed and shellfish had washed up onto it. “A ‘little’ storm caused _this_?”

Naida gave a small smile and brought her hands in front of her, activating her magic to grab a passing wave. She made a motion that ended with her fists posed on either hip, making the water rinse off the deck and into the cabin where someone let out a startled shriek.

“What was that?!” Emily looked away from the recording. Naida looked to her, then over the ledge.

“Did you guys see that titan wave?! Big enough to drench the deck, but too strong to surf.” Azari walked from the cabin, her hair dripping with saltwater and peeling seaweed from her shoulder.

“Oh no, I’m so sorry Azari! I had no idea you were in there, I’d have given you a warning.” Naida hopped down from the cabin roof, followed by Emily.

Azari huffed and stood with shoulders back, her lips curved in a wry smile. “It’s hardly a problem, it’ll take more than a tidal wave to douse this wildfire.”

“Did you need anything?

“Nooo. But remember when you said I was welcome anytime and to make myself at home?” Azari nervously laughed and presented her arms, “Tadaa?” She looked over to Emily, “So, what are you doing here Em?”

“Naida wanted to make a video tour of her home.”

“Oh! You should go to her spa then!”

“Good idea, it’ll take me awhile to get everything on deck clean. We can come back another day.”

Shortly, they were all on the dock, walking into the cove where Naida had set up her spa. Splashes, chirps and whistles echoed in the cove’s crisp air as Delphia, among other dolphins, played in the crystal clear water. Emily could finally enjoy the serenity of it all without the stress of whether or not she would be able to return home on her mind. She took some shots around the deep blue rock formations, blue crystals sprouting from any crevice they could manage.

Cool toned light shone through the large openings that acted as floor-to-ceiling windows, but without glass. Standing at the edge of a hot spring, Emily could see out onto the docks and ocean beyond. Naida’s boat bobbed in the harbor, the creaking of the wood reaching Emily through the gentle waves. Stepping down, she wandered over to some shelves stocked with hair and skin products. Then moving on to boxes of crystals, flowers and ocean themed accessories.

“Oh Emily, over here! I want to show the humans something I’m sure they’ve never seen.”

Emily looked up from a crate of seaweed wraps to meet Naida and Azari on the top step of the pool. Naida made a gesture to the colored dolphins and they lined up, the red-violet Delphia on the far left. A blue dolphin on the far right, and two dolphins in the middle connecting the gradient.

Naida brushed the surface of the water, magic falling from her hands and making the ripples glitter with an ethereal light. The dolphins dove under the lights as the Water elf rose, bringing her hands up to eye level. Magic swirled in the water, creating whirlpools that brought shells and sea glass up from the bottom, spinning on top of the water.

With a circular motion of her hands, spouts rose like a fountain, the shells balanced on top. Delphia and her friends began a jumping routine behind the spouts, the stray droplets they trailed were pulled into circular and figure 8 motions.

“Epic!” Azari said, turning to see Emily’s reaction.

Emily, awestruck, stepped back from the performance, to get Naida in frame. Delphia, followed by her podmates, stood in the water chattering and waving their front fins. Naida made another circle with her hands, then turned and took a bow. The spouts dropped, and the dolphins fell backwards into the water.

“Wow Naida, all of you have been practicing that.”

“Thank you Azari! Emily, what did you think?”

“Think? I'm mind blown!”

She leaned over the water and held her hand out to the Dolphins. Each of them came up and high-fived her with their flippers. “You ladies---” the lavender blue one chirped, “---and sir, were awesome! Thanks for the stellar show.” With another few chips, the Dolphins swam out of the cove into the open ocean. Emily stopped her recording.

“I’m going to get the deck clean for next time.”

“Alright, you do that. I’m going to Aira’s workshop, she’s bound to love this home tour idea.”

Azari hopped off the rock she was sitting on. “Mind if I tag along?”

Emily lightly giggled and nodded to the stairs, “Come on.” The two headed for the cove’s spiral staircase up to the cliff, Naida waving them off.

“Enjoy the... singing.”

 

~*~

 

Songbirds burst from the trees in droves, twittering all at once as the Wind elf’s voice sawed through the air. Emily kept a smile up while filming, grateful that her hearing wasn’t as strong as her elven friends’ were. Aira was standing atop a knee high workbench, one leg up behind her and belting her heart out. Even though her singing sounded akin to the wails of a tortured banshee, Aira was doing something she truly loved, and Emily couldn’t bring herself to ruin her friend’s good spirit.

But Emily also couldn’t allow her eardrums to be abused any further either.

“Awesome! I think we’re done singing… show us your workshop Aira!”

“Alright!” Aira stepped down from the bench, “I have a whole archive system for my invention process!” Emily followed Aira around the circular room as the Wind elf gestured to a parchment littered wall.

“This is the stuff I’m almost ready to build, over here is stuff I’m still designing. Oh! And over here---” Aira ran past Emily, the human pivoted and followed her to some barrels, “Stuff that’s just stuff, mostly spares. Humans do that too right?”

“Oh yeah, we love stuff.”

“Then your friends will love these nick-nacks I make!” Aira showed Emily to a table where her tinkerings lay, from miniature vehicles to miscellaneous looking things. Gears, crystals, bolts and scrap were scattered along the worktable, as well as more invention designs. Aira’s rapid speech was interrupted by bird squalls, followed by two shadows crossing the light from the glass dome roof.

“And there’s a couple of friends to help me keep things organized!” Two dark lavender birds that resembled Peahens descended on either side of the purple double-doors; cooing and ruffling their yellow and blue plumes. Azari then burst from the kitchen, the birds getting hit by the doors.

“Tea time!” Azari announced, not noticing the birds’ annoyed squawks. She brought a tray with pastries, meats and a purple, bird themed teapot out, and they all went to the loft overlooking the workshop area. Emily stopped the recording and was the last one up and seated on the blueish purple cushions of Aira’s living space. They all settled into the plush seats, sipping what Azari called Snow Raspberry tea and the cookies she made.

“Emily, what is that thing called again? The one you make instant moving paintings with?”

Emily laughed, “It’s called a phone Aira.”

“Does it only record things?”

“No, I can call people and access the internet, like how you guys use birds to send messages, but faster.”

“How much faster?” Azari asked.

“Near instantly” Emily snapped her fingers. “One person could be on a different continent but you could talk to them like they’re in the room with you.”

“Could you call someone now? I’d love to talk to one of your human friends!”

“Well, actually… calling and internet access will only work on Earth.”

As Emily continued to explain what she knew about human technology and how worldwide communication worked, Aira hung on Emily’s every word, shaking with excitement and her eyes bright.

“What else can it do?” Aira asked, bouncing in her seat.

“Record video, like what we’ve been doing. Take pictures, write notes, play music and games. It also has a calendar, planner, stopwatch and alarm. That’s what I usually do on it.”

“No way humans put all of that into one little rectangle.” Azari said, her nose wrinkled in disbelief.

“They did, but what I have here has only been around for fifteen or twenty years. It’s really pretty new in the grand scheme of history.”

“Could I see it? I’ll be really careful, I promise.”

“Sure.”

Emily took the device out of her back pocket and placed it in Aira’s hands. Aira instantly took to observing it all around, and let a little squeal when the screen lit up.

“What happened?”

“She just turned it on, here let me just---” Emily sat next to Aira as Azari scooched in over her shoulder. Emily took her left thumb and put it on the big button on the bottom of the screen, the phone making a little click sound.

“What did that do?”

“I unlocked it with my fingerprint, so now we can go to the camera.” She pointed to a little square icon with a circle in it, Aira touched that place on the screen, making it turn red.

“Ew that’s---”

“Your finger in front of the camera, hold it down here.” Emily moved Aira’s hand and lifted it up, the screen now showing the room in front of them. Both of the elves jumped a little at the action.

“Whoa-huh-oaaa! Amazing!” Aira exclaimed, Azari’s eyes were wide as her curiosity was peaked.

“Neat right? Now, see that icon on the top left?” Aira nodded. “Tap that.” Emily said with a grin as Aira obliged, the screen changed again.

“It’s us!” Azari said.

“Yeah it is! Aira, mind if I grab this for a moment?” Emily took the phone and pulled them both in frame closer to her. “Look into the circle and smile!” They all smiled and Emily tapped the white circle on the screen, their image blinking once as the phone made another click.

“Oo what’s that next to the circle? It just showed up.”

“That’s our picture Aira.” Emily brought their image into fullscreen and the elves gasped.

“We should get an instant painting with Naida and Farran!”

“That's perfect! I'll tell Farran after I film Azari's home.”

“Uh, my home?” Azari stammered.

“Yeah, I was planning on going to Farran’s right after we were done at yours.”

“How about we go to Farran's first? He’s fostering the cutest panther cub you have to meet him!” Azari offered, walking over the table around Emily and Aira.

“Ok then, Aira, could you let Naida know to meet us at Azar--- oh!” The Fire elf took Emily’s arm and pulled her away and out of the workshop before she could finish or Aira could reply.

 

~*~

 

Emily brushed past the pink foliage, holding it for the excited elf behind her.

“Oh! I should get a wide shot of the house from the outside!” Emily thought aloud, pulling out the phone and turning on the recording.

“Definitely! Farran’s home is the best!” Azari said, running up ahead as the Earth elf came out. He waved to the human and she waved back, climbing the stairs and following him inside.

“Hi Emily, what brings you and Azari here?”

“We’re doing a video tour of Elvendale lifestyles. It was Naida’s idea and I thought a home tour would be perfect.”

“Cool!” His brows lowered into confusion, “What’s a video?”

Emily was about to repeat what she explained to Naida, when Azari called out from the kitchen.

“Imagine a moving and talking painting!”

“Oh! Okay then.” Farran thought for a minute, nodding to himself, “Yeah… I’m on board! Let’s do it!”

“Oh thank you Farran! I’ll hold this up while you talk.” Emily held the device up and away from her face as Farran stepped back onto the carpeting.

“Hello human world! I’m Farran Leafshade, here to give you a tour of my home. Currently we are in the living area, where I keep my botany, history and music books here next to the study. The carpet is Royal Brier grass, the curtains are actually Ioplore blossoms. And there's never a shortage of snacks.” Farran's palms lit up with green and a branch full with ripe fruit grew through the window.

“Neat Farran! Azari said that you were also fostering a cub, where's the little guy?”

“He's not so little anymore.” Farran laughed, pulling two fruits off the tree, handing one to Emily. As she was about to take a bite, something with blue-gray fur that was the size of a Pit Bull leapt through the window.

“Farran behind you!” Farran turned halfway and caught the big cat, swinging it around so its hind legs were on the floor.

“Here's the cub of the hour! Handsome, aren't you Enki?” Farran ruffed the cub's blue-gray and white striped fur. The cub purred deeply, waving his white swirled tail. Enki hopped down off of the elf's chest and jumped to Emily curiously.

“Oooohhhhh, aren't you the cutest?” She kneeled down, absentmindedly handing Farran the recording so she could coddle the big cat cub. Through the cuddles, kisses and baby talk, Emily didn't notice Farran snickering to himself.

“So Emily, are you planning to adopt or what?” Her attention was pulled to Azari, who sat with Farran around the table. A tray with fruit assortments and cooked meat skewers lay in the center. Emily awkwardly laughed to herself.

“It’s an impulse, oh but you’re just so cute Enki!” Emily squished the panther’s face as he purred and licked her cheek. With one last scratch behind the ear, the cub ran out of the front door, past Aira and Naida.

“Don’t just stand there,” said Azari, “come on over before the meat gets cold!”

 

~*~

 

“Azari, that meal was amazing. You should be a chef!” Emily said, swallowing the last chunk of meat from her kebob.

“Aw thanks Em. My father taught me everything I know.” The Fire elf set her wooden skewer back on the tray while Farran stretched and leaned back in his seat.

“How’s the record coming along Emily?” Naida asked, wiping her hands on an enbroidered handkerchief.

“It’s going great! All I need to do is get footage of Azari’s place then I’m set!” The Water elf’s brows furrowed and her lips pursed.

“Azari’s house?” Naida questioned. Azari sucked air in through her teeth, shaking her head at Naida with wide eyes.

“What, is there as problem with that?”

“You didn’t tell her?” Farran turned his head to Azari.

“Tell me wh--- oh.” The elves around her gave off a tense atmosphere, Azari’s ears starting to tinge white. “Azari, are you… homeless?” Emily leaned in, not wanting to seem accusatory. Azari made some strained noises, trying to find the words.

“Yeahhh…” She said, eyes pointed down and away from Emily. “I usually stay at Johnny’s bakery when I’m not hanging around here. I moved places a lot when I was little because of my father’s job. Nowadays staying in one place feels, weird? I know humans have this thing about always having a place to be and… I didn’t want you to---”

“It’s fine Azari, I’d never think less of you just because you don’t stay in one place.” Emily’s gaze softened and she grinned, “I actually have some friends back on Earth who are in the same position, one of them even stayed over last night.” Emily smiled at the recollection. “But you know, it’s your life, you live it your way. And if your way of life involves couch-surfing across Elvendale then hey, who am I to judge?”

Relief flooded Azari’s mood as she released a breath, “Thanks Em.” She laughed to herself as the others relaxed, joining her. “Imagine, me, having my own place and hanging out there all the time?”

“Oh yeah, who would pick all my fruit before scavengers got to it? Or make up new recipes I’d never begin to dream of?!” Farran turned to Azari.

“You make sure that I’m never bored and come up with the wildest ideas for inventions! Who else tells me to eat or take a break when I get caught up in my inventing?” Aira added.

“It’d be too quiet without you Azari, I’d miss your company so much.” Naida finished the group’s sentiment.

“Well then,” Azari chuckled, “You all can rest assured that I’m not going anywhere anytime soon.”

Aira gasped and shook Emily’s shoulder, “We have to get the instant painting of all of us, remember?”

“Oh yeah.” The idea had slipped Emily’s mind for a moment in the excitement. She stood and walked to the opposite side of the table next to Naida. “Gather around everyone!”

The Elves clustered together behind Emily, Azari pushing forward next to her. Emily held the phone out in front of the group as their image appeared on the screen.

“Everyone say ‘elfie’!”

“Elfie!”


	4. Dancing with the Elves

Flames crackled, filling the camp with warmth and light. Farran played his flute while forest animals gathered around him, the melody floating on the evening air. Aira was tinkering with an invention part while explaining what it was going to go to. Azari played with the flames in the pit, making shapes and swirls at her leisure. Naida was working on beading a necklace, with one ear turned towards the chattering Wind elf. Emily finished the last bite of sausage from the stick it was impaled on.

Emily looked away from the light of the fire, admiring the not-so-distant mountain peaks that glimmered in the fading pink light like gemstones. The combination of Farran’s flute and the wilderness atmosphere eased the stresses of Emily’s day in a way that Earth couldn’t. She couldn’t be sure if it was a high from the ever-present magic of Elvendale, or her sense of adventure and fantasy finally being fulfilled. From the corner of her eye, Emily noticed Naida swaying her head to the music.

“So guys,” Emily said during a moment of silence, “Now that we've gorged ourselves, why don't we work it off?”

Farran stopped mid-note. “How should we do that?” He asked, taking a walnut from a pouch on his knee.

“We should dance!” Azari offered eagerly from her lounging position on the large flat rock to Emily’s left.

“Oo just what I was thinking!” Emily stood and walked around the fire pit to a slab of stone. “I've been wanting to try this new choreography a friend came up with.” 

“Need a partner?” Azari asked, sitting up. 

“We don't usually do partners on Earth, this works best as a solo or synchronized group dance.” Emily said, stepping onto her stage. She had already picked out the song on her phone on the way, starting the music and setting the device down as the music began.

She turned to face her audience of four and the music began to fade in. Emily tapped her toes to the electronic plucks, settling into the rhythm.

_~“Stamp on the ground---on the ground---on the ground. Move it all around---all around---all around”~_

The first verse began and Emily’s pace quickened, kicking her feet up and tapping in a cross pattern.

_~“Stamp on the ground. Jump, jump, jump, jump. Move it all around, tup tup da dow. Stamp on the ground. Jump, jump, jump, jump. Move it all around, we’re jumping all around woo!”~_

The singer continued repeating “dup” in time with the rising instrumental. Emily’s steps became faster as the music reached its crescendo.

_~“Jumping all around--- Drop the beat!”~_

Emily put one foot forward, and once the music dropped she did a sideways standing flip, her legs outlining a circle with how quick the move was. Upon landing she started to repeat the stomping movements from the first stanza with the fast paced instrumental, but stopped when she noticed the elves frozen with shock. Furrowing her brows, Emily walked to her phone and paused the music, turning back to her friends.

“What?” Emily said, folding her arms so she was cupping her elbows.

“Are your legs mad at your feet? Did you get a rock stuck in your shoe?” Azari asked.

“I thought there might’ve been a bug on you and you were trying to get it off.” Said Aira, setting aside her tinkering.

“Looked like you were trying to break your spine.” Farran said, picking up the bag of walnuts he dropped during his daze from Emily’s dance.

“What?!” Emily half genuinely and half confusedly laughed. “No, no, no, not at all. It’s called Jumpstyle! It’s supposed to look like that. Sure I threw in some gymnastics at the drop but otherwise that’s how the dance is supposed to go.”

“Humans think that whipping their bodies about is dancing?” Naida asked.

“Well us humans are a lot sturdier than we look. And I wasn’t whipping my body aroun---” Emily couldn’t hold her laughter anymore.

“Let us show you how it’s done here.” Farran said, switching out his flute for a lyre decorated with peridot inlay engravings. He began to strum a melody, and Azari took Aira’s hand and led the Wind elf to the stage. Emily sat down on the log to Naida’s right to watch. 

Azari and Aira bowed to one another, holding their left hands up and gracefully circling each other. Every now and then they switched direction, clapped, hopped, spun, or tapped their heels to their palms. Emily glanced over to Naida to gauge her thoughts on the show, but was instead met with the elf looking to the waterfall and stream behind them. Emily pouted as she looked back to Azari and Aira caught in the moment, and then back at Naida. Slowly, she leaned back until the Water elf noticed her with a confused look.

“Annnny reason you’re not going to join them? Looks like fun don’t you think?”

“Oh, I’m sure it is fun for them, but I’ll pass. More than two people dancing when it’s not a wedding is very improper. Besides, I haven’t danced in years.” Naida turned her face away from Emily, putting a finger in the water and using her magic to draw in the air with the droplets.

“Why is that?” Emily threw her legs over the log to sit parallel to Naida.

“I’m just not good at dancing. During school I was always the worst one in class, I could never keep step. I got carried away with the music, ended up doing the wrong dance entirely. Eventually I was told, to sit out and observe the other students.” Emily stared at Naida, her breath hitching.

“Forget your teacher.”

“What?!”

Emily gave a swift nod, “Yeah, forget them. They say you can't dance right, I say they can't think right. Dancing is supposed to be fun, express yourself!”

“Oh I don't know if I even have it anymore. Everyone teased you when you danced.”

“That was just banter, I've heard much worse. I’m not the most coordinated dancer on Earth either, but everything is done in good fun.” Naida's lips tightened into a line and she took a hesitant breath.

“And hey, if you let go of what that sucky teacher said, I bet you'd be an awesome Freestyler.”

“You really think so?” 

Emily stood and offered her hand. “Want to find out? I'll pick an easier song for you if you'd like.” 

Naida smiled, “That would be great, thank you.” Farran had long stopped playing and the girls stopped dancing to listen in.

“Awesome, let's get up there!” Emily took Naida’s hand as they jumped onto the stage, Naida following cautiously.

“Up for round two?” Azari ragged with a raised brown and grin.

“You know it, we're Freestylin’ tonight.” Emily played along, pulling her hair-tie out and rolling it onto her wrist. Scrolling through her playlist, she found the perfect beginner song for Naida to dance to.

“You ready Naida?” Emily asked, shaking out her auburn waves as she pressed play.

“I believe so, how should I step?”

“Just let the music move you, do whatever your body feels, or follow my lead if you need a warm up.” The instrumental faded in and grew in volume. Emily moved her body gently, arms waving like trees in the wind. Naida followed her motion.

_~“We, we don't have to worry bout nothin’---nothin'---nothin’”~_

The pair had taken over the stage, Azari and Aira moving to the side and Farran tapping along.

_~“They, they gonna see us from outer space, outer space. Light it up, like we're the stars of the human race, human race”~_

Naida had begun to diverge from Emily's lead, which relied on arms, shoulder and core movement. Naida used her hands to express the beat, and sweeping leg motions to connect to the melody.

_~“We'll be raising our hands, shining up to the sky”~_

The elves summoned their magic into orbs that fit in their palms, joining Emily in raising their hands to the stars. The group laughed as the music continued, even Farran hopped up with the girls. Pure magic danced from the elves 

_~“And we gonna let it burn burn burn burn”~_

The song hit its peak, everyone throwing their hands up. Magic shot from the elves, streaking up into the sky and bursting like aurora fireworks among the stars.

 

~*~

 

_~“Let your colors burn, and brightly burst, into a million sparks, but all dispersed and illuminate a world, that'll try to bring you down, but not this time”~_

_~“I'd like to make myself believe, that planet earth turns slowly. It's hard to say that I'd rather stay awake when I'm asleep”~_

_~“Way up in the air, you're finally free, and you can stay up there, right next to me. All this gravity will try to pull you down, but not this time”~_

_~“When the sun shines, we shine together. Told you I'll be here forever, said I'll always be your friend, took an oath that I'm a stick it out 'til the end”~_

_~“To ten million fireflies, I'm weird cause I hate goodbyes”~_

_~“And it's gonna be so different when I'm on the stage tonight”~_

 

~*~

 

Breathless from dancing, Emily and the elves settled back down around the fire, Azari beamed, giddy from the fun. “I’ve never felt that alive before!” She said.

“I know!” Aira giggled, “Oh I haven’t seen Naida dance like that in ages.”

“You’re really good, those were some awesome moves.” Farran added. 

Naida blushed at their complements. Emily sat next to Naida and re-braided her hair, “So Naida, the people have spoken, what do you think?”

Naida held her beading to her chest, a giggle rising in her. Soon it grew into a stream rolling over a rocky riverbed, quickly spreading smiles onto her friends.

“It was the most blissful feeling ever! I’ve never felt more… more joy than I did tonight.” Naida’s eyes sparkled, a few stray tears rolling over her waterline. “Human dancing is so much fun!”

“So, you no longer swear off dancing?” Farran asked.

“Swear it off?” Naida looked around the camp and stopped at Emily, “I never want to stop!”


	5. Aquatic Alarm

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's a hotter than usual day on Earth, and in an attempt to escape the heatwave, Emily retreats to Elvendale. However, the weather isn't as mild as originally expected, so the Elves take Emily to Diamond Falls to cool off. The fun is interrupted by a playful mermaid who challenges Emily to a race.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is the first original chapter in the rewrite! Huge thanks to my proofreaders/editors "imjustheretoseetheprivateblogs" and "Dragon Queen" for helping me get this out.
> 
> If any of you are curious as to what Oshma looks like, here she is!: http://fav.me/dcxm31o

Many claim that the first day of summer vacation is the best day of the year. Such a statement would have rang true in any other circumstance. But for Emily, it couldn’t be further from the truth. None of her friends were available, they were either at work, leaving the country, or visiting family. Social media consisted of drama that she wanted no part of. Her parents were at work, as per usual. Sophie had left for a week-long summer camp at the insistence of their parents, and her grandfather went to the senior center for the day to mingle and play old-person games.

She was home alone, lying on her bed like a depressed starfish. She considered leaving her sweat-dampened sheets to edit video projects she had started, but couldn’t will her body to move. It was just so hot. Checking the weather app on her phone, it showed a record 102°F for that day. Better still, the heatwave struck the day after the air conditioning had broken. 

_God… I can’t even sleep this off._

In her heat-induced daze she barely picked up the chime from her amulet, a prick of light showing in the blue gem. From her starfish position, Emily attempted to move but could only muster a half-hearted groan. The amulet chimed a little louder, and this time Emily managed to lift her head to look and raise a brow at the jewelry. It floated two inches off her chest, bobbing on the air like a boat on waves.

“Yeah, I could go to Elvendale, haven’t visited them in a month. It’s probably cooler there.” As if it heard her, the amulet landed with a wet sound and the light faded.

_Sometimes I wonder about this thing…_

Emily took a deep breath and peeled her body off of the sheets, setting her feet on the rug. It was early enough for her that she’d get to Elvendale with plenty of daylight.

_But first, I’ll need to bring some stuff._

She reached across to her wardrobe, lazily pulling the doors open and rifling through the clothes until she found what she was looking for. Holding the bundle under her arm she trudged out of her room and across the hall to the bathroom, eager to see her friends and experience cooler air.

 

~*~

 

Slipping on her sandy brown sandals, Emily slid the glass door open and stepped out into the heat, which felt even hotter in the light. She slid the door shut behind her, locking it, and set out across the parched grass to the trees. The bushes scratched her exposed legs while she made her way to the glade, where the Oak with greener leaves stood. With her free hand, Emily lifted her amulet towards the tree, stepping up to where the roots entered the soil. Her heart rate quickened when the portal opened before her.

 

~*~

 

On the other side of the portal, Emily expected to feel some semblance of relief like what she felt in the starfield. But reality had a different plan.

“Oh no it’s hah-ahhht!” Emily whined as the portal closed behind her. With a groan she trudged down the path into the clearing to Farran’s treehouse, wondering how the elves dealt with the heat.

Emily had changed into a pair of white, high-waisted swimsuit shorts with one baby blue leg and a white, frilly short sleeved swim top. The two halves of the top were tied together with a vertical sailor striped bow. Her braid had been twisted into a bun on the back of her head with a blue scrunchie. She had tied a yellow towel around her waist, covering the bottom portion of her suit. 

Her pink satchel held her phone and a freezer bag filled with ice cubes and frozen treats. Before leaving, she had left a note on the fridge for her parents, in case they came home before her.

Emerging from the trees into the clearing, Emily saw Farran beside the treehouse stairs, wearing his usual vest and shorts; but today he didn’t bother with his wrist cuffs or brown scaled undershirt. The elf had his magic intertwined with a wooden fan that he used to cool himself while he tended to some potted plants.

“Hey Farran!” Emily called out, wiping sweat off her brow. He looked over his shoulder and squinted through the sun.

“Emily!” Farran waved, “We were wondering where you were.” He stood up and brushed the dirt off his knees.

“Yeah, school got pretty hectic with final tests and all that. But we’re on Summer break now, so you guys will be seeing me much more.”

“Great! It’s always nice with you around. The girls have really been missing you, especially Azari.”

“Aww, I’d be flattered, but right now I’m being baked.” Emily said, wiping the hem of the towel on her neck. Farran nodded and the two went inside, where Aira was sprawled across the table, circulating air with a finger in a feeble attempt of shooing away the heat. She wore a plain white spaghetti strap dress that cut off at the knees. A light purple sash was tied around her waist, the knot resembling a flower.

“That bad, huh?”

“Emily?” Aira rolled onto her elbows and beamed, “Emily! Where have you been?!”

“School, friends, Earth stuff.” Emily sat on the cushion to Aira’s left.

“Do you want any chilled fruit tea? You look half baked.”

“Can’t,” Farran said, the leaf of a plant he was checking fell into his hand, “The glacier berries are shriveled, sugar snap dragons haven’t bloomed, and there’s no more river ambrosia until next Fertell.” 

“Oh olc, sorry Emily.” Aira’s ears drooped as she sat up.

“It’s fine. I actually brought some cold treats from home.” She reached into the satchel and brought out the freezer bag, “I thought you guys might have liked them even if it wasn’t hot.” Aira grabbed Emily’s shoulders and shook her, eyes desperate like a starving animal.

“Give it, give it, please Emily!”

“Oh okay,” Emily zipped open the bag, the interior still freezing. “I have popsicles and ice creams---”

“Any of them!”

“Okay, okay, uh do you want lime, cherry, pineap---”

“I don’t know what any of those are just give me one!” Aira snatched a strawberry banana pop and tore the paper off before biting off half of the treat.

“You want one Farran?” Emily offered, holding a chocolate ice cream cup to him.

“You know it.” He said, popping the spoon and lid off, Emily scooching over to let him sit. Taking a vanilla bean ice cream for herself, she zipped the bag closed and put it in the shade.

“Thank you Emily.” Aira said through tears of relief and a mouth full of frozen fruit juice. “It’s been so hot, not even the mountains are comfortable.”

“I’ve been awake day in and day out keeping this forest healthy and blooming.” Farran put the cup against his neck. “I even got Florence, Aicha and Daesie to help. But three Earth Elves and a Faun can only do so much.” He dipped the spoon into the cup, taking sparing bites.

Emily leaned back and scooped ice cream into her mouth, nodding along to his words. Aira had stripped her popsicle down to the wooden stick, pink juice sticking to the corners of her mouth. Setting it aside, the Wind elf made a gesture for another, Emily obliging. Shortly after, there came soft knocking at the door.

“Come in!” Farran called out. Naida stepped in and nudged the door closed with a foot. She looked like she had been shrink wrapped, water held skin tight to her by magic, only her ears and face exposed. Beneath, she wore a flowy aquamarine dress with fish scales decorating the skirt. Starting at the waist, the dress looked like woven seaweed that wrapped up to just below the collarbone, fading to teal. A single strap over Naida’s right shoulder held the top up.

“Hi Naida!” Emily greeted, leaning out from behind Farran. “Heat got you down?”

“Let me tell you,” Naida said, the water receding to her shoulders, “This heatwave is the most insufferable, out of line thing I’ve witnessed. People were flocking to my spa for cooling remedies. Heat blocking charms, half price dips in the crystal wash, I had to close the spa I’ve had enough!” She stomped her foot, magically charged water flying off her.

“Not much better on Earth either, want a popsicle?” Emily offered, trying to turn the elf’s mood around.

“Yes, thank you.” Naida sighed, touching up her braided bun. As she went to sit opposite of Emily, someone came running up the stairs and through the door.

“Guys! Isn’t this weather the best or what?” Azari yelled, kicking the door out of her way.

“No.” They deadpanned.

“Okay, so maybe it’s a little warm, but still!” Azari paused, “Hey, what are you guys eating?”

“Ice cream and popsicles.” Emily said.

The Fire elf gasped. “Emily!” Azari yelled, throwing herself onto the human. “I missed you so so much! I… uh… Why are you damp?” Emily giggled, even though Azari’s warmer than normal body suffocated her.

“That’s sweat.” Azari pulled away and sat on the table beside Aira, “It’s how humans cool down.”

“Eww, that’s disgusting.” Naida commented.

“Aww, do you need a hug?” Emily teased, opening her arms and halfway standing.

“No! Oh crassa crassa crassa.” Naida cringed and retreated behind Aira.

“Don’t tell me Elves can’t sweat, how do you not get heat stroke?” To answer, Aira reached her arm out.

“If you look closely, there’s a very thin film of magic on our skin that acts in a similar way.” Squinting, Emily could see that there indeed was a very thin layer of magic running over her arm. 

“Well, since everyone’s so upset about it being hot, what should we do now that Emily’s here?” Azari asked, looking around the group with her hands on her hips.

“I don’t know. Emily?” Farran chewed on the plastic spoon. “What do Earth humans do when it’s hot?”

“Suffer.” Emily leaned into the pillow, popping her back. Then she laughed, sensing the moods negatively shift. 

“Guys I’m kidding! What we’d usually do is stay inside and just turn on the air conditioning.” 

Aira’s ears flicked up. “Air conditioning?” She asked, taking the stick from her last popsicle from her mouth.

“It’s a machine that blows cold air inside our buildings. We have food that’ll go bad quicker if it’s not kept cold. And we enjoy not getting cooked by our environment.”

“Humans really have thought of everything…” Aira thought aloud.

“Why didn’t you stay inside at home if it’s so hot on Earth too?” Naida asked.

“Our machine broke, so it’s super hot in the house. All my friends are busy or away, so I can’t stay with them. And doing something by yourself is no fun.” 

A moment of silence fell on them, until Naida spoke.

“We can go to Diamond Falls. The waters flow directly from Glacier Pass, it's perfect for a day like today!”

“Then let's go!” Emily said, gathering the trash and shoving it into her bag. Aira dashed out the door, the rest of the group hurrying to catch up.

 

~*~

 

“Welcome to Diamond Falls!” Naida announced as the group rounded the end of the steep footpath. 

Emily stepped onto the crystal adorned stone, mist brushing her cheek as she took in how stunning the place was. Before her was a lake with water clear and blue as glass, little islands speckling the surface with multi-colored foliage and gems. Surrounding them was a sheer cliff, waterfalls giant and miniscule raced down the walls and fed into the bottom of the open ended bowl they were in. Ponds, shelves and caves were scattered around and on the walls, hiding any number of things.

“It's so pretty I'm gonna cry.” Emily said, stepping over a deep blue vine.

“Are there no waterfalls on Earth?” Azari asked.

“No, no, there are plenty just as gorgeous, I've just never been to any of them.”

“Then come on!” Azari held Emily’s arm, “Let’s hop in the smaller pools, you’ll love them!”

 

~*~

 

Emily chatted with Azari and Naida on a rock shelf, just above the spring Aira and Farran were in. Water flowed from several more shelves above them, washing the heat away from Emily’s skin. As Naida used her magic to lift blobs of water into the air, Emily saw a glimmer from the corner of her eye from the lake. Turning to focus on it more, she could see it wasn’t just the sun reflecting off of the water.

Curiosity peaked, Emily stood from her spot, Azari and Naida carrying on their conversation. She wandered down the stairs carved from the rock beside the pools, to the sandy shore where the tide pushed jewel-like pebbles around. Emily waded through the water until she was waist deep, when she heard Naida scream.

“Emily what are you doing?!” She cried, the other Elves looking on in fear.

“Wh--- I’m just---!” Emily was interrupted when the water sent a buzz thru her body and lifted her from the rest of the lake, back over to the frantic group.

“What were you thinking?!” Farran took her arm, firmly setting a hand on her shoulder.

“I was---”

“You can’t just follow the mermaid’s song!” Aira scolded.

“What song? I can’t h---.”

“You could’ve drowned!” Azari said, tears beginning to shine in her eyes.

“What? No I can---”

“Humans can’t swim Emily, don’t you know this?” Naida brushed Farran aside.

“Who told you that?!” Emily backed away from the smothering, “I’m a competitive swimmer on Earth, I think I can hold my own in a reasonably calm and clear lake.”

“Wait,” Farran held his hands up, “You weren’t being lured by the mermaid’s song?”

“No, I can’t hear as well as you all can. I just saw something glinting in the water and wanted to check it out.” The group breathed a collective sigh of relief.

“That’s it, you saw something? You weren’t being affected by a lure?” Naida asked, her arms wrapped around her torso.

“Yes, I promise you, no lures, no spells, no songs. Just me, looking to see what’s in the water.” The elves nodded and turned back to sit on the edge of the spring, Naida staying with Emily.

“I’ll go halfway out with you, they will wait for us.”

“Okay, let’s go then!” Emily ran back to the water’s edge and waded with Naida until they were up to their shoulders. The human took a breath and ducked her head under the surface, locating the source of the shine about 200 feet away and to her right.

“Do you see it?” Naida asked when Emily resurfaced.

“Yeah,” Emily shook a lock of hair from her face, “Right there, by the greyish-purple rock.” She pointed to the general area. “I’ll be right back.”

“Okay, if anything goes wrong, I’ll pull you back in.” Emily nodded and dove, mermaid kicking down to and along the bottom. Once at the rock, she could properly see exactly what had caught her eye. Resting beside the swirl-patterned stone, was what could be described as a gold necklace. Emily reached out to grab it, when she noticed something duck behind a boulder. She would have gone to investigate, but her lungs began to burn for air. Taking the jewelry in her hand, she pushed off of the bottom and began back to Naida, who was watching from beneath.

Breaking surface and gasping to clear her airway, Emily held up the trinket to have a better look. Circular baby yellow shells were fastened to the gold chain around the length. Dangling down below the smallest carved shell, was a charm made from the same type of shell, with a rich blue sea-glass stone embedded in it.

“What is it?” Naida leaned towards the chain.

“Looks like some kind of necklace, but there’s no clasp on it.” Emily tried to see if it could slip over her head, but it wouldn’t go any lower than her brow.

“I think someone lost their circlet, must have been recent too since it’s so clean.”

“Aren’t circlets stiff like crowns and diadems though? It must be a headband.” Emily said, taking the chain off. Then Naida peaked over her shoulder.

“I think you missed something, look.” Naida turned Emily around and pointed to the boulder.

“Maybe, hold this for me.” Emily passed her the trinket and dove again, aiming to the boulder. Once at the rock, she reached for another piece of jewelry that was left behind. It matched the previous piece she had taken, but had a shorter chain and was decorated with only a single carved shell. As Emily observed the chain, a dark brown hand shot at her amulet from the boulder. 

Emily recoiled, covering her amulet and dropping the necklace. Air bubbles escaped her as she followed the impulse to yell. Before her was a dark face, blue dots lined up under the blue left eye, and a little star rested at the corner of the right pink eye. A salmon colored fin sprouted from her scalp in the place of hair and dusty blue pearl earrings hung from translucent pink fins that looked like her ears.

“Hi!” The girl greeted in a chirpy voice and a smile. Emily couldn't even react before the buzzing sensation surrounded her and current yanked her back to Naida and the surface.

“We’re getting to shore, and we are not going back in.” Naida said in a panic, pushing them both back to shore as Emily sputtered and coughed. At the spring, the rest of the group sprung from where they sat, their magic sending sparks into the air.

“What happened down there?” Farran demanded.

“A mermaid burst from the sand while I was taking a breath! She tried to drag Emily under!” Naida answered, checking Emily all over.

“No! That’s not what happened at all, she just startled me when she grabbed at my amulet.” She said, looking out to see if the mermaid was still there.

“Should we find somewhere else to hang out, where there’s less merfolk around?” Aira said, looking to Farran and Azari.

“We should,” Azari confirmed, calling off her magic, “We don’t know what kind of effects a merperson’s magic can have on a human.”

“It’s for the best. Come, let’s get our shoes.” Naida said, pulling Emily along.

“No! Don’t go!” The chirpy voice begged from the spring. “I’m sorry I scared you, I thought we were having a fun game…” The mermaid sat on on opalescent stone that stuck out into the water. She fiddled with the pink fins on her hips and swished her lilac and pink tail in the water.

“A game? You mortifiousi think drowning people is a game?!”

“Naida!” Farran snapped, Aira and Azari gazed in shock while Emily tensed. The mermaid looked hurt, then shook her head smiling again.

“Anyway...!” The mermaid said, the three yellow swirls and four blue dots that lined the mermaid’s arms lit up as the springwater rose. She pushed herself into the swell and lifting herself to Emily. “My name's Oshma, Freshwater Folk.” She said, showing off her ear-fins and smile, offering her translucent flipper.

“Well, it's very nice to meet you.”

“Emily what are you doing? Merfolk are dangerous!” Naida hissed, her magic coiling up her arms.

“It’s just friendly conversation.” Emily glanced to Oshma’s fin, lifting a foot and placing it on top like a handshake. The mermaid chirped and moved to a lying position in her orb. “Uh, so Oshma, what brings you here?”

“Well I live here so that’s a given. I also wanted to see what kind of elf you were.” She leaned in closer to Emily, moving to grab her ear. “I didn’t think their ears could be this small past infancy.” Oshma poked at the still forming tip.

“I’m not an elf, not entirely. Only one fourth from my grandmother.” Emily said, Azari and Aira moving to either side of her.

“What’s the rest of you then? You’re a little plain looking to be part Fae, and too tall for a Dwarf.”

“Don’t tell her Emily.” Azari warned, gripping her bicep tighter.

“You don’t know what she can do with that kind of information.” Aira continued.

“Guys, just chill out. What’s the worst that can happen?” Emily turned back to the mermaid, who was picking a leaf from her purple and pink tube top. “The rest of me is human.”

Oshma gasped, “You are?! Oh I haven’t seen a human in years, the last time I did he made me these finnrings and fashioned my Mer-Stone into this headband.” She squealed, snatching the piece from Naida’s hands. “They’ve gotten really good at hiding ever since the Magic Siege---”

“Ok, why do I feel like you didn’t just come here out of curiosity for someone’s species?” Farran quizzed.

“Well fine, you got me. My third reason for being here?” Oshma put her elbow on Emily’s shoulder and pointed to the island nearest the large falls. Sitting eagerly on the rocks were six other merpeople, two males and four females, all variously colored and marked. “I was dared to.”

“Ok, haha, you did your little dare. Now leave us alone.” Azari pushed Oshma’s elbow off of Emily.

“But I can’t do that!” She replied. Turning over her shoulder she chirped and whistled to the merfolk, the sounds cutting through the crashing of the falls. More chirps answered her.

“You see, since you picked up a mermaid’s jewelry, you have to do a task for me.”

“Ok? What is it?”

“I challenge you, to a race!” The girls around Emily tensed, muttering to each other. Farran, on the other hand, looked on with a sceptical brow.

“But that’s hardly fair, you’re made for swimming, and you don’t need to come up for air like I do.” 

“You’re right!” Oshma touched the glass on her headband, the yellow stripes on her abdomen lit up as her tail and gills disappeared, leaving a smooth neck and scaly legs in their place. A knee length skirt that matched her top was tied around her waist as she hopped out of the water blob.

“Now it’s fair, and now you have to accept!” Oshma bounced on her toes like a child and grabbed Emily, pulling her to the rock edge where one of the mermaids from the group waited. The Elves came close behind the duo.

“First one to complete one pass across the lake, around Narwhal horn rock, will win.” The newcomer announced, raising herself into a pillar of water with her arms raised. “Spectators from both sides are allowed to interfere in any way to hinder an opponent's progress as long as no physical contact is made.”

“You didn’t have to accept Emily.” Naida whispered to her.

“Technically I didn’t accept, but a little race never hurt anyone. I’ll be fine.” Emily smiled, “And you guys get to help me by hindering Oshma.”

Naida sighed, “If you’re confident about this, there’s nothing we can do to stop you.”

“Because we’re going to help Emily win this.” Azari stated. “Some of us will have to double up to keep those merfolk off her, but we can do this!”

“Are the racers ready?” Oshma’s friend announced.

“Ready!” The girls affirmed. Oshma stood straighter as Emily crouched into her diving stance.

“Are the interference teams ready?”

“Ready!” The Elves and Merfolk responded, also getting into ready positions.

“Racers at the marks, set yourself, be off!”

Emily mustered all her effort, leaping from the shelf and arcing into the water with Oshma. The sabotage teams followed close behind.

Emily dolphin kicked beneath the water and streamlined her body the best she could to get away from the chaos behind her. Muscle memory of every race she had ever swam kicked in as she broke the surface and stroked. Only 30 seconds had passed when she was snatched from the water.

“Hey what are you doing?!” Emily tried to pry the arms from her abdomen when she was shushed by Oshma. The mermaid sat her on a flat boulder on the shore of a spire-like rock.

“Wow, that leg morphing spell is such a pain!” Oshma rubbed the midpoint of her tail, “I couldn’t hold it any longer or I’d never want to move again.” Emily shook her head in disbelief and made a face.

“Are you alright then, should we call off the race if you’re in pain?”

“No, not at all!” She smiled, curling her tail under herself.

“I’ll finish the race then.” Emily went to slide back into the water when Oshma grabbed her arm.

“No! Stay! Watch what happens.” She stuck her arm out to where the two groups were splashing about.

Farran was caught up in combating two merfolk, using his magic to grow seaweed into tangles around them. One, a female with a periwinkle to blue tail and white fins, expertly climbed the thrashing plants and laughed her heart out the whole way. The second was a male with a blue-violet to grey tail and blue fins. He had dove from Farran’s mess of a net and slipped under the water, quickly coming up again beside him. With a shout Farran was tackled into the water.

Naida had engaged herself in a water war with the remaining merman. His coral orange tail slammed on the water to create huge swells that the elf surfed over. Swiping her fingertips over the water, Naida threw a pillar over him that grazed the golden yellow fin on his head. Right behind her was Azari, wrestling with a mermaid with a rust orange head fin, the two diving in and out of the water in their struggle. Surprisingly, Azari was not using her magic to help herself out.

Aira leapt over the scene with the assistance of her magic, being tailed by two mermaids. One with a gold tail and green fins jumped from the water, tagging Aira’s ankle. The other with a mint green tail and pink fins jumping over the Wind Elf and tapping her shoulder with each pass she made.

“You’re it!” The two mermaids sang in their shrill voices, the colors bordering their gills glowed with their song.

“No, you’re it!” Aira huffed when the mint-tailed mermaid jumped over her again, tagging her abdomen. Quickly the exchange went from competitive, to playful banter between the three girls.

Emily watched on with an entertained smile. Shouting turned to laughs, attacks died down into just splashing and friendly chases. Looking to Oshma, the mermaid was also giddy, her giggles sounding like mouse squeaks.

“There was no race, was there?”

“What do you mean?” Her eyes shone knowingly through the absent minded expression she put on. The two giggled between each other and started conversing until a merman grabbed their attention.

“Hey! Are you two going to join or do we have to drag you out?”

“We’re coming Sunam!” Oshma called back and dove off the rock.

“Hey Emily!” Azari called to her, making a teasing face and hand gesture.

“Oh you’re so in for it Azari!” Emily jumped into the water and beelined to the Fire Elf, laughing the whole way.


	6. Never Cave

A cooling breeze brushed past the lowered sail as seabirds flew overhead, crossing the clear blue sky. The seaspray and swishing of the ocean against the bow of the boat lulled the passengers into relaxation. It could be taken as a true “lazy afternoon”.

The elves didn’t have many ideas on what they could do with Emily that day, so she had suggested a quiet hang-out on the ocean. Emily was leaning up against the railing, legs folded to her chest and facing Azari. The fire elf had her legs crossed and hands behind her head, taking in the sun. Opposite of them Farran had his back against the corner where the railing met the cabin, Aira’s head rested in the crook of his neck.

“Emily, look at this.” Naida whispered from where she was on the bow, waking the half asleep human. Emily turned over her shoulder and shifted her legs to face Naida. Naida called her magic into a sweeping motion and raised a swirling column of ocean, fish being carried up with it. The display reminded Emily of the pillar tanks in the aquarium.

“Whoa, pretty Naida!” Emily breathed, careful not to disturb anyone.

“Em, check this out!” Azari whispered a little louder while taking a flame from the lamp beside her. With her eyes still closed Azari swirled the flame in tight spirals before shooting it off like a firework. Emily followed the streak as it shot towards the pillar, an unassuming Naida still detailing the work.

“Wait--- Azari NO!”

A sudden clap of thunder was chased by a violet light as the two magics interacted. Aira and Farran shrieked from the outburst and Naida’s column fell back into the ocean. The magically charged stormcloud lingered a few seconds more before fading to the bright day. Shaking the ringing from her ears, Emily clutched her heart and continued staring to where the stormcloud once was.

“Well, I think this is a great time for lunch.” Naida announced, briskly standing from the bow and starting for the cabin.

“Hold up, what in the Hell--- what was THAT?!” Emily demanded, pointing behind herself.

“Should we tell her?” Farran muttered.

“Maybe it’s better if she doesn’t know.” Naida said softly.

“Uhm, guys…” Azari looked to Emily. Emily stood, arms crossed indignantly while she glared at the group. The elves avoided her gaze as she tried to catch one of them. After a few more seconds of avoided eye contact, Farran slipped and she locked onto him.

Emily knew how to get the information she wanted. A trick she learned in grade school after her cousin stole her Sailor Moon figurine and denied it was ever her’s to begin with. If it could work on people as crafty as her human friends, it would work on her elven ones.

“Farran Leafshade. You will tell me exactly what happened; In full detail; And you will leave nothing out.” She sternly ordered, taking a step with each pause.

Farran gave a shaky laugh, “You make a compelling argument. How, how are you not blinking?” 

Naida took Emily by the shoulders and sat her beside Azari before taking her own seat on a nearby crate. The Water Elf took a breath and let it out. 

“Emily, we'll tell. But it's going to be a story---”

“And it'll get very weird.” Azari commented.

“I'm open to weird.”

Naida chuckled, “Well, it started when the four of us were small children---”

 

~*~

 

_“---We were playing Hideaway. Farran was the soldier, Aira, Azari and I were the humans---”_

*

“998! 999! 1,000! Hideaway, hideaway, today’s your last day!” The little brunette boy called out, turning away from the tree and running down the trail. He nearly ran past an overgrown offshoot, when three heads of red, lavender and blue caught his eye. Pouting, he slid down to meet the girls.

“Really? I counted to 1,000 and all of you are just standing in the open!” He kicked the dirt.

“But look at that!” The red-headed girl pointed, “It’s a huge cavern, made entirely out of Glass Crystal!”

“Let’s go in!”

“It doesn’t really look inviting though Aira. You know what they say about Glass Crystal---”

“---That it’s the only non-living thing with a consciousness? You don’t really believe that, do you Naida?” Azari teased.

“No! But still we shouldn’t go in, what if one of us trips and can’t get out?” She twisted the blue glass beads around her neck and shifted her feet. 

“Naida’s right. We really should avoid going in these kinds of places unless we have to.” Farran agreed.

*

_“---Then Azari snatched my necklace and threw it into the cave---”_

_“---No I didn’t! It fell off when you were messing with it. I tried to catch it---”_

_“---Sure. Either way, my necklace ended up in the cave, so we ventured in---”_

*

The four kids stepped into the cave, the crystal walls reflecting blue and lavender across the snowy white stone floor. Luminescent green, pink and purple plants and jewels grew from the grand pillars and down the dark corridors branching from the main chamber.

“It goes on forever!” Aira mused, looking in every crevice she laid eyes on

“Remember, we’re only in here to find Naida’s beads, and then we get out.” Farran said, glancing quickly around the cave.

“I’ll stay by the entrance, maybe it got caught on a rock on the way in.” Naida stammered, taking a backwards step and turning to leave when the ground rumbled. The girl yelped as the cave’s crystals rapidly grew and blocked off their only exit.

“Ohhhhh no. We’re trapped.”

“Don’t be a stiff Farran, there has to be another exit! We just need light” Azari picked up a loose rock and struck it on a crystal pillar until it sparked. In her palms, the sparks quickly grew into a sizeable flame. “Like this!”

“Try this passage Azari!” Aira pointed, heading to step further in. Crystals grew up to block that path as well. Azari made a motion with her hands, pushing the fireball to each passage. 

*

_“---One by one our pathways dwindled as the light hit the crystals, until we were trapped in the chamber in near total darkness---”_

*

“Now do you believe we’re trapped?” Farran remarked, crossing his arms and scrunching his nose at the Fire Elf.

“Then how about you use your magic to move the crystal then, huh?”

“I can’t move crystal Azari! That type of magic is highly specialized!”

“Don’t you take magic lessons from that Faun you always linger around?”

“She doesn’t know how to move crystals either Naida!”

“Well maybe I can find a draft from a crack in the wall we can squeeze through.” Aira’s hands shook as she paced the exterior of the cavern.

“Farran, could you at least try? Your magic is for plants and crystals.” Naida pleaded.

“Ok, I’ll try.” Farran groaned and stepped next to Naida, “But you’ll have to help. See this purple mushroom?” 

“Yes?”

“It’s an Amethyst Pixietable, the stalk and cap are very strong. If you and I use our magic on it at the same time, we may be able to rapidly grow it into the crystals---”

“---And pry them apart!” Farran nodded and Naida knelt beside him.

*

_“---Farran and I tried to make the mushroom grow. But because we were so young, our magic wasn’t strong enough---”_

*

“I feel like the walls are closing in on me.” Aira panted, hugging herself.

“Everyone’s trapped in case you haven’t noticed. All because Naida had to get her dumb beads.” Azari sharply pointed to the Water Elf.

“I never wanted to come in here! You should have listened to Farran!”

“He’s always bossing us around!”

“If we had listened to him in the first place we wouldn’t be in here!” Aira whimpered and sank to the floor on the verge of tears.

“Look what you did, you made Aira cry!” Naida spat.

“That’s it!” Farran stomped his foot and summoned his magic, lighting the cave in lime green light. He focused the power into the entrance’s crystal blockade, the glassy rock shaking with the excess of power. Naida joined him and summoned all of her strength into the crystal as well, followed by a shaking Aira and an agitated Azari. Colored light bounced off the walls as the children’s magic reacted to the others.

In a blink and a thunderous crash, the cave’s blockade and part of the wall were shattered, throwing the kids back from the force. There, they lay stunned in the smoking and magically charged ruins of the cave’s entrance.

 

~*~

 

“--- I suppose you could say we escaped the cave. But what happened during that… I don’t know.” Naida trailed off.

“I remember a bolt of lightning, the air turning cold as ice.” Azari said.

“And that bright white light from when all the magic fused.” Aira added.

“The end of it is, all four types of magic can’t be combined, it’s impossible.” Farran said.

“But the story ended with all four being combined, doesn’t that mean it is possible? Besides, Aira and Naida have combined their magic before. You and Naida unified your magic during the story too!”

“Pff, try telling that to anyone else! Our parents didn’t believe us.” Azari leaned on the railing.

“I’m just glad we could tell you Emily, you seem much more receptive to these things.” Naida smiled.

“Why wouldn’t they believe you, your parents?” Emily asked. The elves shifted, heads pressed down in thought.  
“You see Emily.” Aira said, putting her fingertips together, “Magic is kind of like painting. Some colors go well together as they are---”

“Like purple and green.” Azari chimed in.

“---And others don’t.”

“Sometimes,” Naida continued, “You can make a beautiful painting from two colors that don’t quite match up. You just need the right canvas.”

“Or brush.” Azari chimed in again.

“But if you mix all the colors at once…” Farran drifted off.

Azari summoned a ball of fire between her cupped hands, the flames spiraling until she flicked her wrists with a flourish. The ball hissed and the flames dispersed, searing the air it once resided in.

“Magic is like that.” Naida said, “You need to be careful with how you use it, or your canvas will get messy. Magic needs a proper medium to pass through when being mixed, or the consequences will be---”

“---Ok! Enough of that now, these Solarberry buns aren’t going to eat themselves.” Aira stood, taking the sack of food with her to the bow, Farran and Azari following. As Naida stood to follow, Emily took her arm.

“Wait, Naida… Imagine all you could do if you merged your powers.”

“I have a suspicion you’re right. But we’ve tried it again and again, passing our magic through different objects on a smaller scale. But no matter what, the spell breaks down.” Emily set an elbow on her knee, resting her face in her hand. She fiddled with her amulet and hummed.

“What is it?” Naida leaned to her.

“So you guys have tried combining your magic more than once. We know magic needs a proper object to pass through in order to be effective. Maybe…” Emily looked down to the amulet the rested in her palm. She pursed her lips at the jewel, half expecting it to give her some sort of clue.

“Maybe…?”

“Maybe you just need the right medium.”


	7. Master Baker

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Azari enters herself and Emily into a baking competition.

Azari dangled her legs over the branch she sat on and shifted excitedly. She had watched the Oak at the path’s end the entire morning, waiting for even the tiniest prick of light to shine from within it’s bulbous trunk. In her hands was a sheet of parchment and a flower hair clip.

“Where is she Flamey? I gave her the right time and day, didn’t I?” Azari scratched the fox’s neck. “Otiumré at 7 o’dial.”

The fox barked to her and rolled onto her lap, “Maybe the Humans on Earth have different names for their days?” 

“Oh no, I think they do. What did Emily say there was… Some sort of time difference between the worlds?” Her ears drooped as she stopped petting Flamey.

“Azari! Azari are you still up there?”

“Oh look, here’s dirt hair.” Flamey whooped, his ears pressed forward.

“Ok, what did Flamey say about me now?”

“Nothing Farran! He was just saying hi.” Azari called down. From the corner of her eye, she caught a glimmer of blue light and a sound of crinkling glass from the tree. She gasped and tossed Flamey over to Farran as she leapt down, breaking her fall by pushing herself off large leaves before sprinting down the path.

 

~*~

 

With a yawn Emily emerged on the Elvendale side of the portal, flinching from how bright the morning light was. She rubbed her eyes and popped her shoulders, pulling one side of her yellow and white baseball tee onto her shoulder.

“You came!”

“Hmm?” Emily squinted, only registering a reddish-orange blur that tackled her. “Oh yeah for sur--hmmm…”

“Em, are you okay?”

“Yeah! I came at the time you said, which for me is Saturday… at midnight.” She yawned again.

“Oh no. If I knew you had to get up that early I wouldn’t have signed us up.”

“Signed us up for what?”

“Well it’s--- here.” Azari handed the parchment to Emily, who squinted at it blankly before handing it back.

“I can’t read this.”

“Oh, right. I forgot about that.” Azari fiddled with the hairclip and shifted, “Well, the Magic Bakery is holding a contest today!”

“You signed up with Emily?!” Farran came up behind them with the red fox by his feet. “Azari do you know how many elves are going to be at the venue?”

“Yeah! I do. But I have a plan.” 

Azari pulled a brown headband from her belt and put it on Emily, the rosy fabric flowers covering her ears comfortably. Farran crossed his arms and leaned forward, his ears pinned back slightly.

“A headband is your plan?”

“I think it’s cute.” Emily said, rubbing a petal against her cheek, “Mmmhhh… soff.”

“Are you okay to participate? You look exhausted.” Farran put a thumb on the dark circle under Emily’s eye.

“Yeaahhh!” Emily brushed his hand away, “It’ll just take me a bit to wake up.”

“Awesome!” Azari squealed and took Emily’s hand, “This is going to be so fun!” 

Farran sighed with a smile and shook his head. “I’ll tell Aira to get the Pegasi ready. You two can catch up after you’re done fluttering.” Azari rolled her eyes as Farran walked down the path.

“Oh Emily, I made you this.” Azari bounced on her toes and showed the clip to Emily, who’s eye sparkled at the sight. “The flower is Rose Quartz, the leaves are Peridot.. All set in rose gold.”

“It’s so pretty Azari, I love it!” Her heart picked up as the Fire elf beamed and stepped behind her, pulling back her loose hair and clipping it in place.

“Come on, we want to have plenty of time for prep, and it’s a lengthy ride to Athelney.” The two girls laughed as they ran to the waiting sleigh.

 

~*~

 

If Emily hadn’t been awake before, she definitely was now, gazing awestruck upon the city of Athelney as their sleigh soared over its towering buildings and carved stone pathways. The city reminding her of ancient Greek mediterranean cities. Every building she could see was in immaculate condition, not a single one dilapidated, graffitied on or abandoned.

White marble walls with yellow-green teardrop rooftops stretched across and within the mountain hillsides, moving with the land. The city reached into the valley, the buildings becoming scarcer until they reached a crystal clear reservoir. Gilded archways connected the buildings over the streets, some of the shapes within the swirls were adorned with Emeralds and Jade. Elves bustled in the streets and sat in cafes and verandas, eating or chatting. Many more flew by on crystal powered airships. Some were as small as bicycles, while others were the size of double-decker buses.

“This is Athelney?!” Emily exclaimed.

“Yep! If you look just ahead and to the left, do you see that building with the gold cage dome?” Aira pointed across herself. Nestled in one of the circular centers was a stout marble building, four stories high with the dome as an open air roof.

“Is that where we’re going?”

“No, that’s the library where I read my first book about machines! My mother is a librarian there!” Aira yelled over the wind noise, “If you look just below us, you’ll see the Garden Park.”

“We have to go there and see the Camellia hue beds sometime Emily.” Azari whispered.

“Get ready, we’re about to land!” Aira announced and steered the sleigh wide, the Pegasi making their presence known to clear the crowd on the descent.

“You and Emily go in, I’ll help Aira with the harness.” Farran said and walked to the far side of the sleigh. Azari, hand in hand with Emily, lead her to meet an elf that was coming out to meet them.

“Hey Johnny!” Azari waved while Emily looked all around at the array of colors the people adorned.

“Azari, nice to see you and your friend made it!” Johnny looked past them, “No Naida today?”

“No, she’s decided that she wants to use today to get into potion making.”

“Good for her then. Go on in, prep is about to start. You know where the event room is.”  
“Sure thing, c’mon Em!” Azari guided Emily past the crowd and under the row of jade pillars that lined the exterior, styled to look like tangling vines. A few paces behind the pillars she opened the green stained glass doors into a foyer with plants growing down from the high ceiling. Golden rays of sunlight filtered thru the foliage as what looked like iridescent finches flitted around the canopy.

Azari wove them through the crowd and up the grand golden marble staircase. They passed tapestries of battles, dragons, and what Emily thought were historical scenes. One that caught Emily’s eye had a dark skinned and white haired elf woman with a lion, fox, tortoise and dragon behind her on the right side. All the figures gazed to a four pointed white star that sat at the top center. Further past the tapestries were statues and awards cases placed between doorways and entrances to branching halls.

“So, what do you think?” Azari stopped and turned over her shoulder.

“Everyone and everything here is so beautiful and young.” Emily stopped to gaze at the stained glass rooftop. “Reminds me of the event center in my city.”

“Well, it should, because this is the Elvendale Event Center!” Azari pulled her to a deep green door, “Here’s where we go.”

The door opened up to an open floor area, where 12 stations were set up, some already being occupied. At the forefront where they entered, was a judge’s stand with three raised seats. Around the room, was a viewing balcony with stairs leading up underneath. On the opposite side of the room was a lounge area, where an older looking elf with caramel skin and short, spiked chrome yellow hair and goatee sat, reading a bronze bound leather book. Azari’s eyes lit up as she spotted the man, nearly tripping over herself while dragging Emily over.

“Papa! Papa!” Azari waved, catching his attention. The man turned to them and gave the most fatherly grin Emily had ever seen.

“‘Zari my little kitchen fire!” He stood and picked Azari up into a bear hug, the bright yellow sun marking on his left cheek scrunching up as he bellowed a laugh.

“Papa I brought her today!” The man look to Emily and chuckled, setting Azari down and smoothing out his sleeveless grey and yellow tunic.

“So you’re the girl my ‘Zari won’t stop gushing about.” He offered a hand to her.

“Uh, yeah, we’re really good friends.” Emily smiled back and shook his hand. “It’s great to meet you.”

“Papa’s going to be one of the judges for the contest today.”

“The contest you two should be preparing for right about now.” He raised a brow. Azari’s eartips tinged white and she sheepishly grinned.

“Yep… Come on Emily, I’ll get the station set up and give you the rundown of what everything is.” Azari grabbed Emily’s hand and started for a station in the middle.

“And ‘Zari!” The man called out, Azari’s ears pricking up as she turned to him.

“Yes Papa?”

“Don’t think that just because you’re my daughter, means that I’ll give you an easy time.” 

Azari huffed a laugh and continued to the station with Emily, pointing out all the ingredients and tools they would need. Elves continued to file in, contestants going in pairs to their stations and the audience to the balconies. Emily scanned the crowd, eventually finding Farran and Aira on the balcony beside the entrance. She and Azari waved up to them and they waved back. 

“Oh, a fair warning though, papa can get pretty intense when it comes to cooking.” Azari mentioned during their downtime.

“Azari, I’ve looked after children before. If I can handle six toddlers screaming at me for fifteen different things, I can handle intense.”

 

~*~

 

Before Emily knew it, an hour had gone by and Johnny had returned to the event room, seating himself in the centermost judge’s seat. He was followed by Azari’s father and another woman, clad in a strapless yellow dress and her bubblegum pink hair braided high on her head. A blonde man in a blue vest stepped before the contestants.

“Welcome contestants, to the Magic Bakery culinary contest! You’ll compete to win your very own spot on the menu in all Magic Bakery branches. The grand prize winners will not only get their recipes on the menu and a share of sales, they’ll also have the opportunity for their dish to be served at the upcoming Ball.” A few claps came from above as the man stepped aside and gestured to the judge’s bench.

“Your judges! Introducing our event’s host and Magic Bakery founder, Jonny Baker. Elvendale food critic and event coordinator, Daphne O’Dille. Finally, give a scorching welcome to nation famous, chef and royal caterer, Suffio Firesear!” A light patter of applause came from above, some quiet cheers following before they quickly died down.

“No one seems very excited about this.” Emily whispered to Azari through her teeth.

“They are, I’m guessing humans are much louder about support on Earth?” Emily nodded an affirmation before tuning the announcer back in.

“Our first round will be dedicated to the savory category. On the far side of this room, you’ll see a table with various arrangements of meats and vegetables. You will designate one partner to run the ingredients to the chef. Be sure to be the first though, the good ingredients will go fast.” One person from each station filed into the center isle with a bag in hand, Azari quickly handing Emily a bag and urging her to follow.

“Magic will not be permitted in this part.” On either side of Emily, she could feel her competitors’ disappointment as their ears dropped. As the announcer went on, one of the contestants grabbed her attention.

“Do you hear that?” He whispered to her as the contestants got ready to run.

“No? What do you mean?”

“That ‘thump thump thump’ it’s very loud, how can you not hear that?” Emily shrugged as the elves around her agreed, her pulse in her neck and hair standing on end. She crouched, one leg becoming near parallel to the floor as she leaned forward, her knee just under her neck. The light cloth bag was balled around her hand with the open end between her thumb and pointer finger.

“Contestants, round one shall begin in 3… 2… 1!” A sheer sounding chime resonated through the room, Emily already five paces ahead of the elves who had flinched back.

_This is going to be easy._

 

~*~

 

With Azari’s proficient cooking skills and Emily’s physical edge over the competitors, round one was hardly a problem. Emily could barrel and weave her way through the crowd and get exactly what Azari needed, and Azari worked wonders with what was brought back. They won the savory category with a honey-glazed roast beef pie, the judges giving glowing praise to the duo.

Round two only had half of the starting partner groups, those who were eliminated moving to the audience viewing area. This round, groups were brought a predetermined set of ingredients, Azari and Emily being brought flour, ginger, nutmeg, salt and carrots. On the side, was what Emily thought to be the Elvendale version of cream cheese.

“Em, what am I going to do with this? I don’t know any recipe for cake ingredients and carrots.”

“Well I know exactly what to do with these.” Emily replied, already organizing everything she needed, Azari peering over.

“Okay, what are we making?”

“My Grandmother’s carrot cake with cream cheese frosting and chopped walnuts. Whenever there was a family event, it was always the first to run out, even when we made extra.” Emily laughed and began sight measuring the flour.

“I’m following you then, just tell me what to do.”

Getting the carrots shredded, cheese creamed and cake baked proved to be more of a challenge than anticipated. Emily didn’t take into account that Elvendale didn’t have nearly as many cooking utensils as Earth did, so she took to heating and prodding the football sized block until it was smooth. Meanwhile, Azari tried her best to get the carrots as thinly sliced as quickly as she could.

Another factor that Emily failed to remember was that elf ovens didn’t display the internal temperature, so it was up to Azari to do the guesswork. It was a scramble to get the cake baked, cooled and frosted before time ran out, but they made it with Emily frantically getting the chopped walnuts on the sides of the cake.

To their relief, the judges found the cake to be, in Miss O’Dille’s words, “A delightful combination of earthly texture and a heavenly aftertaste.” Azari’s father was left speechless, only capable of laughter and a head nod. Johnny, after pulling himself together, gestured for Emily to lean in.

“You need to give me that recipe, not even for the contest, I need it.” He whispered to her, Emily grinned and nodded.

“I’ll have Azari help me write it down for you.”

 

~*~

 

Round three had contestants come up with something new, a new flavor or baked good. This gave the groups free reign over the ingredient supply.

“What do you suggest we do? We can’t repeat another group’s recipe.”

“How about cupcakes?” 

Azari gave Emily a blank look.

“You know, little personal cakes that have paper wrapping and a big glob of icing on top.” Emily said, making hand motions.

“I’ve never heard of that before, but it sounds perfect! We can use the lemons for the cake part.”

“And those mixed berries for the frosting.”

“Let’s get started!”

As the groups began preparing their final desserts, the judges proceeded to walk among and observe contestants, routinely switching between groups. While it did make Emily nervous, having important people look over her shoulder, she managed to keep herself focused. 

Johnny was the least of her concern, his supervision felt more inquisitive as Azari sliced the lemons and handed them to Emily, who proceeded to juice the halves and filter out the pulp. Upon adding the sugar to the half cup of juice, she could hear him huff a laugh as he left their group.

Emily somehow found herself unfazed when Azari’s father began yelling at the groups about various things. Where other groups stammered responses or gave silent affirmation or denial, she held her head up and glared back into his eyes, replying like a soldier to their drill sergeant. After the surprise left his eyes, he gave her a proud, closed-lip smile and nod, stepping away to continue yelling at the other two groups.

When folding make-shift muffin wrappers out of baking paper, Emily could feel Miss O’Dille’s scrutinizing eyes on her neck. She could sense the woman about to lean down to her level when the announcer called for judges to take their seats during the last hour.

 

~*~

 

“In first place, Cumulo Fairweather and Duli Springmist, with their Sumoor fruit roll cake!” Azari gave a half-hearted smile as Emily clapped along with the audience.

“Hey,” Emily nudged her with an elbow as the crowd dispersed and they started towards Farran by the door, “Second place isn’t that bad, and we had fun, didn’t we?”

“Yeah, it would’ve been nice to win though…” Emily turned to look at the winners, thinking for a moment before she dragged Azari back.

“C’mon, let’s congratulate them, maybe you’ll feel better.”

“We don’t really do that---”

“Too late Azari--- Hey!” Emily caught the attention of the water elf, he and his female partner dropping their confused looks as Emily congratulated them. They exchanged their well-wishes, until Farran came up behind Emily, moving the flower headband back.

“I’m sorry to interrupt, but our group should really be leaving now.” Farran pulled Emily and Azari away as the victors picked their conversation back up. As Farran rushed them to the doors, Aira came bounding over to meet them. In her hands were five white slips of paper, embroidered with multichrome green and purple.

“What’s that?” Emily asked as the elf bounced on her toes and gave a gleeful ‘squee’.

“You see that man over there?” Aira pointed to a man with dark cocoa skin and gold runes running down his arms, “We started talking, then after a bit he gave us all tickets to the ball!” 

Emily looked to where Aira pointed. The man wore a solid white button-down style tunic, the buttons themselves looked to be fashioned from diamonds. Gold and opal ringed hands were clasped behind his back as he talked with Azari’s father, his iridescent white beard glinting in the light as he stole a glance to the group.

“We have to go. Now.” Farran pushed the three of them through the doors and into the sparsely occupied corridor. “Let me see those.” Farran said as they reached the grand stairs. Aira handed the slips to him as he quickly counted.

“There’s five tickets?”

“Yeah! Emily’s coming with us.” Aira said as they exited the building. Emily and Azari climbed in the sleigh and Aira jumped behind the reins.

“We’ll talk about this later.” Farran muttered to Aira as he pulled himself up beside her, shaking the tickets and slipping them into the inner pocket of his vest. With a gust of magic, the sleigh was airborne and they were flying back over the city, Aira talking to Farran about what else they could do that afternoon. Emily slouched in her seat, the past four hours catching up to her.

“Maybe we should just head to Skyra’s,” Azari suggested after a particularly large yawn from Emily, “You look totally exhausted Em.”

“Yeah… let’s do tha---” Emily trailed off, her head resting on Azari’s shoulder as she slipped to sleep.


	8. Having a Ball: Part 1

When she stepped through the portal, Emily walked right into Farran’s shoulder instead of being greeted by Azari running up the path. Without a word, the elf gripped her by the shoulders and rushed her to the treehouse.

“Farran what are you---”

Farran stopped and took a breath, moving his hands with the exhale.

“We need to go over some things regarding the ball.”

Emily lifted her arms in a questioning manner and quickly looked around the room, settling back on Farran.

“Ok? Farran you’re freakin’ me out.” She crossed her arms and followed Farran to his study.

“That.” Farran said, gesturing at her with his hands clasped together. “That needs to stop.” 

“What? Me being freaked out?”

“Your diction. It’s distinctly human, as well as your… general behavior.” He said, making a body length gesture to her before stepping into the study space and filing through a bookshelf.

“Distinctly human?” 

Farran pulled a shimmering blue and purple book, bound in dark blue leather from the shelf.

“Yes, you were nearly caught during the contest last week,” He said. “We can’t take any more chances when it comes to you.” He took her arm, guiding her to the table. 

Emily crossed her arms and frowned.

“I don’t see how my behavior is ‘distinctly human’ Farran.”

“You’re doing it right now!”

“What?” 

Farran reached out and unfolded her arms then adjusted her shoulders.

“You’re closed off, guarded, your resting expression makes it look like you’re not paying attention, and when you don’t agree with someone you argue.” 

Emily started to retort, only to catch herself before she could prove Farran right.

“Ok, I see your point. Be more open, brush things off, hang out around the ball unnoticed. Got it.” 

Farran strained a laugh and shook his head.

“It’s not that easy Emily.” He motioned for her to sit. “Rumors have already started to drift around. All of Elvendale is going to be on pins and needles, especially at the Ball.”

“Why? I get that balls are fancy, but what’s so important about this ball?” 

Farran stared at her, his ear twitching. He put his face in his hands and strained a sigh. “We are so lucky you decided to come today and not the day of. Okay, here.” 

Farran turned the book around and pushed it to her. “This will give you everything you need to know about the history of the ball.” Emily looked at the cover for a moment before looking back up at her friend.

“You can put a book in front of me however many times you want, I still can’t read Elvish.” Farran’s brows rose as he remembered and uttered an apology, taking the book back.

“And it’s called Daeln, not ‘Elvish’.”

“Okay,” Emily laughed, “So what do I need to know about this thing?”

Farran opened the book to an illustration of two silhouettes. One was an indigo silhouette of a horned woman with body length hair. Her eyes were two triangles of negative space and ears pinned downward. Another was a white man, his eyes like the woman’s but gold, his ears also pinned. They stood side by side with an arm held away to the outer edge of the golden-brown pages. Above them were the four elemental symbols and the runic script.

Farran cleared his throat, “A little less than four thousand years ago, Elves weren’t as powerful as they are now--- This ‘thing’, is only the most celebrated day in Elvendale! It’s a…” 

Farran suddenly tripped over his words, eyes dashing around the room. After a moment he continued in a cautious tone, “ uh… a celebration of magic being brought to Elvendale.”

As Farran continued to go on with the scattered mess of historical details, Emily found herself tuning him out in favor of flipping through the book. She skipped over the next page, which was mostly writing.

The page after that was the indigo figure again. She stood profile to the reader and in front of a crowd of soldiers, colored two shades darker than the parchment. Emily could only catch that which was on the right hand side when Farran quickly put a hand over the page to keep her from turning it all the way.

“Farran?”

He remained silent, casting his eyes down to the book.

“Where did the magic come from?” 

Farran’s eyes widened, “You…” 

One of Farran’s pinned ears twitched as he avoided her gaze, instead focusing on the cushion directly next to him. He whispered something to himself, then with a deep breath he continued. 

“You don’t need to worry about that.” He moved Emily’s hand away and closed the book, placing it beside him.

“So… what were you saying, about the ball?”

Farran sighed in relief, “Yes, the ball.” He slowly continued, looking like he was choosing his words carefully. “The ball is an event to honor our Queen and King for uniting and bringing magic to the land.” 

Emily took a pause, lowering an eyebrow.

“Elvendale has a government?!” 

Farran’s ear twitched again, “Let’s skip straight to conversation.”

 

~*~

 

“Chin up, neck straight and shoulders back. When talking with a noble, do not look them in the eyes.” Naida ordered, adjusting Emily’s chin and stepping in front of her and pointing to the blue design on her forehead, “Look here, in the center of the upper-brow.”

“You mean the forehead?”

“‘Do you mean’.” Farran corrected from his place in the spa’s hot spring, his boots tossed aside.

“Right.” Emily straightened her form, looking to Naida’s fingertip, “Do not look a noble in the eye.”

“Good.” Naida broke her pose and folded her hands before her. “Let’s review what we’ve covered. How would you go about eating?”

“Start on the left-hand side, take no more than three---”

“Two.”

“Two, options, including drink.”

“What else?”

Emily paused, staring absentmindedly at Naida who now stood with her arms crossed. She desperately racked her mind for the missing detail.

“Wait one hour before returning for a second helping, if so desired.” Naida answered herself.

“With how small portion sizes here are, I’m going to be desiring for the whole evening.” Emily muttered. 

“No venom whispering---” Naida bit, folding her hands behind her back, “---loud talking, or opinionated phrases beyond criticism of h---” Farran’s look cut her off.

“Keep my voice down, no muttering.” Emily nodded with each word, “When I meet a new person, I have to give them my autobiography.”

“No grumbling.”

“It’s invasive Naida.”

“You don’t have to say everything! Just give important details. It’s passing conversation, not forging a fellowship. Now, tell me what not to do when you dismiss yourself.”

“Give an excuse and walk away.”

“What should you do?”

“Formally excuse myself and give a head bow.” 

Naida's ears pricked with a small smile. “Good! How would you introduce yourself?”

“First name, last name, magic type and magic strength.” 

Naida nodded her head.

“First name, last name… I never could understand that concept.” Naida said, tapping her temple with a finger, “How many names could a human possibly need?”

“Is now the time?” Farran commented from the hotspring.

“No, it’s not, but I need to understand this Farran.” 

Farran groaned and rubbed his eyes returning to what he was doing.

“It’s normal to get---”

“Have!” Farran corrected.

“It’s normal to have---” Emily restated, “---Three names, but I have four. A friend of mine has eight.” Before Naida could reply, a disgruntled groan came from the hotspring.

“Alright, this is nice,” Farran said as he walked to them, leaving wet footprints in his wake, “But you two should stay. On. Task.”

“Don’t agonize over it Farran,” Naida waved her hand, “Emily will be fine. We’ve already covered the more important factors, everything else is optional.”

“I don’t see how knowing which fork to use for salad is more important than not getting sacked by a noble.” Emily snickered to herself, Farran pinching his lips to keep himself from joining her. Naida lowered her ears and gave an uncomfortable smile.

“Farran, I thought you took care of Emily’s... special, vocabulary?”

“We did, I still need to get some details memorized, I’m only human.” Emily said with a shrug.

“Then you two can go over it now, while I set up a scenario for you to go through.” Naida stepped away, brushing aside a nearby waterfall like a curtain into a back room.

“You heard her, review time.” Emily followed him back to the hotspring. She sat cross-legged at the edge while Farran rubbed his ankle before dipping his legs back in with a hiss.

“Emily, you need to promise me one thing.” He said, eyes still squeezed shut.

“Okay.” She replied, taking the situation with an air more grace.

“You can forget your manners, use your argot, even step on someone's toes. You can forget it all, you'd just be seen as indecent or rude at the most.” His look darkened and he leaned into her, using his elven height over her to his advantage.

“But never. Never! Refer to yourself as human.”

 

~*~

 

_Step, step, step, tap, swish. Step, step, step, tap, swish._

“Ease up on the arm sway Em.”

“My arm is going to cramp if I slow down any more.” Emily grimaced as Aira repeated the section on her ocarina, motioning for them to start again.

_Step, step, step, tap, swish. Step, step, step, tap, swish._

“There, you’re getting it now!” Azari encouraged as the music began to wind down.

_Step, step, tap, palm-kick, step. Spin, bow, rise, swish, reach._

Azari and Emily ended the dance with their fingertips hardly touching, the two girls caught in the moment as Aira’s ocarina faded into the ocean tide below them. With a hiss Emily lowered her hand from Azari’s to rub her bicep.

“Oh I’ll get that.” Azari's hands glowed a soft orange as she quickly brought them to Emily's arm.

“Thanks,” Emily said with a sigh, “I’m not used to this kind of dancing, it gets really hard on the muscles.”

“Well, you're getting better.” The elf cupped either side of her arm, the magic slowly loosening the muscle, “And you didn't get flown away like when Farran was on dulcimer!”

“Hey, that song was amazing and for it to be partnered with such a slow dance is a tragedy and you know it!” Azari smiled and shook her head, the spell dimming as she cut it off.

“There you should be fine now.” Azari put her hand on her hips, then her ears pricked up, “Let’s do one more dance, just to make sure you’re all caught up!” Azari said, a hopeful sparkle in her eye.

“You just want to keep dancing with Emily!” Aira called, making the fire elf blush. Just then, Farran and Naida came up from the spa with a blue, opal encrusted chest held between them. Naida took the silvery instrument that looked half guitar and half harp from the top as she and Farran set the chest on the grass. 

“No it’s fine, I really do need the extra practice for this. Dancing is a little harder to memorize than speaking topics or cutlery.” Emily offered her hand out to Azari who eagerly took it. Naida and Farran sat on either side of Aira, the Water elf bringing her instrument up. The music began, and Emily fell into step with Azari.

 

~*~

 

“Guys, I don’t know about this one.” Emily said, stepping out from behind the vine changing screen, “I feel like I’m being stuffed into a sausage skin.” She squirmed with the ruffled off-the-shoulder strap of what felt like the 20th outfit she’d worn for that afternoon.

“Yeah, and the skirt doesn’t look like something you’d wear either.” Azari continued her thought, referring to the diagonal knee-length layered ruffles, each layer made from a darker blue than the last.

“Well, that’s the last of Naida’s old clothes.” Aira said, adjusting the water emblem belt and the shoulder straps. Meanwhile Naida busied herself folding the previous outfits back into the chest. After stepping back to look at Emily’s board-stiff posture, Aira shook her head and took Emily back behind the vines.

“Maybe I can bring some of my unused clothes?” Farran suggested, “They’re bigger in the shoulders so Emily wouldn’t have a sizing issue. And I did go through that dress phase a few years back.”

“In any other case I’d agree with that Farran, but Emily’s ticket specifies her as a Water elf. She can’t just show up dressed like an Earth elf.” Aira replied, leaving Emily behind the screen.

“What about that periwinkle dress Emily really liked? The one with the white capelet and silver border?” Azari asked, “You can ask Daesie to make adjustments to the waist Farran.”

“Daesie is very busy at this point with other alterations for the Ball. There’s no way she’ll be done so close to the deadline.” An anxious silence settled over the elves.

“I have an idea,” Emily said, tugging the hem of her blue striped white tank top as she left the vines, “What if I tried to find something back on Earth to wear?”

Aira hummed and brought a finger to her mouth, looking Emily’s normal clothes up and down.

“That could work, do you have anything that isn’t… this?” Aira gestured.

“Yes! I have plenty of outfits for this sort of event.” Emily straightened her posture and adopted a light version of her grandmother’s southern accent. With a head tilt and a raised brow she continued, “Of course I wouldn’t wear anything like this to a fancier gathering, I wouldn’t even do it on Earth.”

It took every ounce of willpower Emily had to not laugh at the shocked expressions on her friends’ faces. From Farran’s slightly prideful smile to Naida’s dumbfounded eyes, Emily was loving it. Turning her head to face an invisible person Emily gave a slight bow.

“Good evening mae’n--- Oh what a delight to meet you Miss Bramblebriar. I am Emily Jadestream, Water elf, meek magic.” Emily started, folding her hands and giving a soft smile to the air. Turning over her shoulder, Emily gave a sharp gasp and joined in a different conversation.

“You’re moving into a cottage by the Iris Hills lake? Ensure that you always have sugar bamboo with you, the venor rattlers become especially agitated during late Fertell.” 

In a moment Emily shook off the act, turning to her friends with bright eyes.

“I think she has everything down.” Farran said to the girls beside him, “You’re ready for the Ball Emily!”

His approval was quickly followed by praise and Azari rushing in for a hug. Then Aira visibly seemed to remember something.

“What about you ears? Ear coverings aren’t allowed at the Ball.” Aira asked.

“I know exactly what to do about that.” Emily assured, “You all just focus on yourselves, I’ll see you in four days!”


	9. Having a Ball: Part 2

“One--- two--- three.” Emily said with each boom of the castle’s door-knocker, shifting a white plastic bag in her arms. After the third knock, she stepped back and shivered as the icy rain pelted her and her friends. The Pegasi that pulled their sleigh had already sheltered themselves within one of the castle’s perches, Emily feeling slightly envious that the equines found refuge while she and the others were being soaked to the bone on the stone steps. 

 

In spite of the rain, she could just make out faint footsteps rushing to the door. A bright violet glow shone from between the doors before they opened, sending a blinding light into the dark afternoon. 

 

Before them, Skyra stood in a pearlescent white dress. Purple and lavender diamonds decorated the skirt and a gold cord was tied around her waist. Lilac hair still holding the coils in the front, but the rest of it had been moved to a loose bun at the back of her neck. Skyra's eyes widened from behind the white feather mask that replaced her usual gold headdress.

“Heyyy Skyra, how are you?” Azari asked shyly .

Skyra leaned closer to the group, her mouth in an open frown.

 

“What upon the land happened?”

 

“We got a little roughed up in the weather.” Emily said, shivering as the wind picked up, “And were hoping to take shelter here before heading to the Elvendale Ball.”

“Elvendale Ball?” 

 

Skyra looked at the elves quizzingly, Emily couldn’t help but catch how she emphasized ‘Elvendale’. Farran made a quick motion with his head towards Emily. Skyra glanced between the two and seemed to connect something.

 

“Ah, of course! Please, do come in!” Skyra moved aside as they filed into the warmly lit foyer. With a swipe of her hand the grand doors latched shut, muffling the crash of thunder that soon followed. Skyra turned to face them and removed her mask, the shock in her eyes now more apparent.

 

“Oh by the Greats, it's even worse in the light. These rags simply won’t do.” Skyra pulled the front of her skirt up so it no longer dragged on the floor. “Come, we haven’t a minute to waste.” With the group in tow, Skyra hurriedly guided them down a brightly lit corridor.

 

“Is this a masquerade ball?” Emily whispered to Farran.

 

“A what?” He whispered back.

 

“Should we have brought masks.” Emily clarified.

 

“Oh! No we’re fine. Masks are only worn by the royals when in public.” He answered as Skyra stopped before a set of magenta double-doors.

 

“ This closet isn't anything exceptional, so I wouldn't get excited just yet .” Skyra said over her shoulder, opening the doors with just a wave of her hand. Like the gates of heaven the doors drifted open, Emily practically heard the choir of angels while shielding her eyes from the blinding light that poured out of the 'closet'.

 

Emily blinked to adjust to the brightness and once the spots before her eyes cleared, she felt her jaw hit the floor.

 

“This closet is bigger than my house!” She commented in wonderment.

 

This "closet" looked more like an outlet in a mall, aisle after aisle of dresses, shoes, and mannequins, stacks of boxes and stands for accessories lined the gold furnished walls. Mirrors of every size were littered strategically so that you wouldn’t have to walk far to see yourself during try-on.

 

Emily ducked and dashed through the aisles of dresses, shoes, mannequins, boxes and accessories, giggling and making other sounds of awe at all the intricate and absurd designs. Her friends did much of the same, their excitement considerably quieter than hers, but just as apparent by the way their eyes sparkled and ears perked up upon coming across something they liked. In her excitement, Emily peeked around a corner and made a delighted sound.

 

“You have a runway in your closet Skyra?!” Emily said, continuing into the offshoot, Skyra and the elves following her in.

 

“Yes, I do. It’s nothing special” Skyra softly laughed, setting herself on a plush purple chair, “but I had to make a choice between this and the decorative fountain. The runway seemed more pragmatic.”

 

Emily was starting to wonder if her idea of “not much” and Skyra’s were more than a little different.

 

“Skyra, you already have this grand closet and elegant fashion sense.” Aira started, “What would you need a runway for?”

 

“For today, it’s for you.” Skyra replied, “You will be wearing exactly what I pick out for you.” 

 

With a swish of her hand Skyra’s magic picked up a yellow cap from a stand, bringing it across the room.

 

“Then you can model it for me.” Skyra finished, dropping the cap on Azari’s head. 

 

“Excuse me now?” The fire elf drew back from the fluffy blue scarf she was admiring, brows scrunching in confusion. Emily snickered as she flicked one of the pompoms that stuck from the cap like antennae.

 

“Skyra, this is very gracious of you.” Farran approached the woman with his hands behind his back, “But I do have a concern regarding---”

 

“If I have anything for you? Of course I do Farran. My sisters brought their beloveds here in the past, there will be something.” Skyra assured, already pulling items from shelves and racks.

  
  


~*~

  
  


“Emily! Elves! Are you ready yet?” Skyra beckoned, crossing her legs and leaning back in her seat.

 

Emily was the first to emerge from the left wing. For her, Skyra picked out a strapless goldenrod top with gold accenting on the front and around the back. The gold piece continued into little wing shapes at the top of the neckline. Dark purple shorts and darker purple thigh high boots were worn over striped leggings the same color as her dress, and a beige six-petal skirt stuck out from her waist like a tutu. Emily had found a way to tease her hair up into a vaguely flower shaped bun behind the headpiece, a five pointed crest that matched the skirt and clipped onto a goldenrod headband with an orange jewel.

 

“Skyra--- never---” Emily said, turning to try and get a better look at herself, a look of absolute joy on her face. “never in a million years--- would I have ever--- ever thought to pick this!” 

 

“Magnificent, isn’t it?” Skyra chuckled, folding her hands atop her staff.

 

“Guys come on!” Emily called before hopping down from the runway to the chair she left her stuff at. After some low muttering from the right wing, Azari and Naida were the first out. The sight of their outfits sending Emily into cackles.

 

Azari wore a slimming, long-sleeve red mermaid style dress. Down the front was a white panel, bordered with gold detailing, and a carmine cape flowing behind. Around the wrists, hem and collar was the fluffiest fur Emily had ever seen. Azari's hair was braided into a one foot tall bun, the cap from earlier topping it.

 

Naida had on a deep indigo thigh length dress with a jagged skirt and puffy black fur on the collar. Her hair was pulled up and through a large pointed crown with one green diamond in the center spike. Gold crests adorned the abdomen and crown. But what really drew Emily’s attention was the larger-than-life blue display that sprouted from Naida’s lower back, making it look like her hair was larger than it was.

 

“Skyra---” Azari started with a cringing expression, “This doesn’t seem very---”

 

“Less talking,” Skyra raised her hand, “More walking.” She put a finger to her cheek, giving the duo a critical eye.

 

Aira was next from the curtain, her outfit less theatrical than Azari and Naida’s. A white dress with wavy gold stripes along the length and puffy blue sleeves. Bubblegum pink fur on the collar gave the dress a broad shoulder look. Three strips of fabric, each colored blue, plum and pink, made up the train. Aira’s hair was puffed and curled into a low ponytail beneath a white wide-brimmed sun hat, which had three accenting feathers to match the train.

 

“Ooh, I can see Skyra wearing that on a Spr--- Fertell day!” Emily commented as Aira walked, the gold wedge sandals making confident clicks along the runway. As Skyra stood to make adjustments to their clothes, Emily pulled her phone from the bag and began taking photos of herself in one of the many mirrors on the wall.

 

“Farran, come on!” Aira urged.

 

“I don’t know about this Aira.” Came from behind the curtain, “Emily is going to find some creative thing to compare me to.”

 

“She’s not paying attention, just come out!” Azari said with a hint of annoyance. 

 

“She likened herself to meat in a sausage skin the other day. Nothing is off the table with her!” 

 

“Farran!” With a defeated sigh, Farran began his walk.

 

When she turned to see what the fuss was about, the sound that came from Emily’s mouth was akin to a bass-boosted goose call. Standing in the middle of the runway was Farran with the most ashamed and embarrassed look in his eyes. Skyra and the girls exchanged concerns while Emily tried to control her wheezing. 

 

“Come on Emily, say it.” Farran said looking at her.

 

“Say what?” Emily crossed her arms and puffed her cheeks, tears brimming her eyes.

 

“I know you have some strange analogy, let’s hear it.” His ears drooping further than they already were.

 

All eyes were on her as she took another look at her poor friend. Emily looked from the dark green and white vertical stripe shirt, to the leaf green overalls, cream boots and hideously oversized pine shoulderpads. Then she spotted the gold star wrist cuff, magenta neck scarf, and---

 

_ Oh my God is that---? _

 

Shaking with anticipation, Emily gave a final puff of air before she spoke.

 

“You look like Beetlejuice with a mullet.”

 

“There it is!” Farran groaned, the girls and Skyra chuckling. Emily then looked about the room and set off between shelves, the elves paying her no mind.

 

“I suppose Richard’s wig was a bit much.” Skyra admitted, lifting the blonde monstrosity from Farran’s head with her magic. “And this closet is a touch outdated.”

 

“Maybe we can clean and fix up our other clothes?” Naida offered, Skyra quickly shaking her head.

 

“Absolutely not, they were tattered beyond reasonable repair. Do you truly believe I would allow such rags at my mother’s honoring ball?” 

 

“We could continue trying outfits?” Nada suggested.

 

“We would be here until long after the ball.” Farran replied.

 

“But you guys are magic!” Emily returned to the group with an armful of items, “What do you want your clothes to look like?” 

 

Aira took the pile from her, ears pricking up with an idea.

 

“Oh of course! I can make us all new clothes for the ball!” Aira rushed Farran behind the stage curtain with Naida and Azari close behind.

 

“What about you Em?” Azari asked before disappearing behind the curtain herself, “You said that you would bring your own outfit.”

 

Emily picked up the bag she brought, “Oh I did! I just didn’t want to be left out of the fun.” She jumped up the stairs to the left wing, Azari joining their elven friends on the right.

  
  


~*~

  
  


Leaning in close to the mirror, Emily strained her neck to make sure she got the latex eartip attached. Taking a fluffy brush she stippled foundation powder onto the costume piece to hide the seam, being careful not to get any on the white top of her dress.

 

“Emily.” Skyra said, putting a hand on her shoulder.

 

“Yes Skyra?” She replied, putting the brushes and makeup away in a little blue bag.

 

“Your amulet,” Her great-aunt pointed to the shimmering stone, “No one must see it.”

 

“Why?”

 

“Because dear, everyone in Elvendale knows what it looks like. During those days after your grandmother---” Skyra paused, collecting herself, “Many elves arrived here with copies, some frighteningly accurate to the real thing.”

 

“And you’re worried that someone will try and steal it?”

 

“I’m worried that someone will discover and reveal you.” Skyra sat Emily down at a nearby vanity, taking a paintbrush from the mirror stand and dipping it in baby blue paint. She took the brush to Emily’s left cheek and began drawing. 

 

“All of Elvendale is aware of your grandmother’s choice to become human, and some are now aware that the portal has switched guardians. What they don’t know is if the holder is an elf, a human, or a hybrid of the races.”

 

Skyra then set the brush in the cup she took it from. With a swish of her hand, magic collected in her palm before blowing it onto her creation. Emily stood, smoothing down her dark blue outer skirt and adjusting the white bow around her waist. 

 

Emily turned to face the mirror, and upon seeing herself her face lit up. On her left cheek, Skyra had drawn three swirls, each joining together at a single dot. Behind her, Skyra’s fond smile faltered and her grip on Emily’s shoulders grew firm.

 

“Be careful who you talk to at the ball Emily. There are powerful people in powerful positions who want that amulet, and they will stop at nothing to possess it and you for their own agenda.” Skyra turned Emily to face her, the concern evident in her eyes.

 

“I promise, nothing will happen to the amulet. They---” Emily gestured with her head to the runway, “---made a pretty big deal about getting me to fit in. Especially Farran.”

 

“Good.” Skyra nodded, her expression relaxing. “I still want you to enjoy yourself tonight. Your grandmother absolutely loved the ball and the people that attended. I wish the same experience for you.”

 

As her eyes began to sting from the nostalgia of her grandmother, a point of light appeared in the amulet. Emily’s attention was gently drawn to a portion of shelf to the left of the vanity, a white curtain covering what it held. With her curiosity peaked, Emily stepped towards the shelf and pulled the curtain aside, behind it were various outfits of yellow, blue and white.

 

“Those are some of your grandmother’s clothes, from when she used to live here.” Skyra said, taking the hem of a white dress with flowery blue embroidery, “She left most of them behind when we opened the portal.”

 

Emily felt the amulet softly bump her collarbone then drop, making her turn to a neatly folded navy-blue shirt. Taking the garment by the shoulders she lifted it before her, the fabric unfolded to reveal that the shirt faded to white at the hem.

 

“Skyra?”

 

“Yes dear?” Emily felt Skyra approach and reach for the shirt.

 

“Your grandmother wore this when she brought you here, when you were only a couple months old. You made quite the mess on it after she fed you, and she left it here to have it washed.” Skyra sniffled, pulling her hand from the shirt to flick away a stray tear. “I suppose the both of us forgot about it after that.” She managed a laugh as she leaned on her staff.

 

“Could I have it?” Emily looked up to her great-aunt, barely able to hold her own tears.

 

“Of course.” Skyra answered, before she could say another word Emily had latched herself onto the woman. She shuddered and squeezed her eyes shut, making the hot tears spill out and onto Skyra’s bodice. Skyra wrapped her free arm around Emily’s back, bringing her closer.

 

“Thank you Skyra.” Emily pulled away, wiping her eyes, “Sorry about your dress.”

 

“It’s just water Emily, you did nothing wrong.” Skyra knelt down, placing her right cheek to Emily’s.

 

“We’re ready!” Aira’s voice called from backstage.

 

“Wonderful!” Skyra replied, standing and looking out one of the floor to ceiling windows. “The storm also seems to have passed.”

 

Emily collected her things, placing them on the shelf where she took the shirt. The shirt itself being tucked into a hidden pocket in her dress. At that moment Goldenglow joined them, carrying a sheer purple cape with white designs at the hem and dusty lavender feathers around the shoulders on her back. Skyra took the cape and fastened the purple crystal as Emily’s friends stepped back into the open.

 

“Aira, you’re quite the designer!” Emily praised, looking over each of their new outfits, pausing as she saw their arm markings had also changed. They had become fancier, more intricate, and changed from plain colors to metallic textures.

 

“Thank you Emily! And thank you too Skyra, for allowing us in.” Aira said, stepping down from the stage, the other three behind her.

 

“It was no trouble at all.” Skyra pulled herself atop Goldenglow, “But you all have to be on your way, the ball will start shortly.”

 

The elves and Emily collectively gasped and rushed out and down the hall, the foyer doors opening for them. Stepping onto the grass, they watched and waved to Skyra, who took off from one of the lower battlements. With spirits high, the group made their way to the sleigh where Starshine and Rufus patiently waited. Azari took Emily’s hand, and looked to the false eartip with an amused expression.

 

“So this was your plan, huh?”

 

“Sure!” Emily squeezed Azari’s hand, “And now, thanks to Aira, we’ll be walking into the Ball with style.”

 


	10. Having a Ball: Part 3

A soft murmur of voices stirred the cool evening air of the ballroom. Sunlight filtered through the crystalline walls, sending warm colors along the intricately tiled gold floor. Emily wandered the crowd hand in hand with Azari, their other three friends tailing behind. Similar to Athelney, there were plenty of young looking faces in the crowd. Not a soul showed signs of age beyond their 30s.

 

“Where is everyone?” Emily put on her grandmother’s accent, placing a loose fist on the amulet she had tucked under the top of her dress, “I thought there would be more people here.”

 

To answer, Azari pulled her to a glittering marble banister. Emily marveled at the floor below, nearly a football field of elves mingling with each other. How a building could be full of people yet remain so silent amazed Emily. It reminded her of the times she went with her mother to Tokyo to visit friends.

 

Suddenly, Azari’s ear pricked up and she made a gleeful gasp. Taking Emily’s arm she pulled her to the marble staircase.

 

“What’s going on?”

 

“Couldn’t you hear?” Azari asked, “the first dance of the evening is about to start!”

 

“No I couldn’t hear---”

 

“Come on Farran!” Aira said, the Earth elf bumping into Emily as he was drug off.

 

“Are you coming too Naida?” Emily asked over her shoulder, putting on the voice again.

 

“Oh no.” Naida said, pushing a lock of hair over her shoulder, “I’m going to see if I can find my parents. I haven’t talked to them in awhile, it would be nice to catch up.”

 

“Ok.” Emily replied, “We’ll meet up with you later!” She waved before caving to Azari’s persistent tugging.

  
  


~*~

  
  


Five dances and ten conversations later, Emily was beginning to feel the strain of keeping up her guise. Azari suggested they step out onto the balcony that wrapped around the outer wall of the ballroom. It seemed to Emily that every elf she and Azari talked to would drag on and on with a topic, and she had to summon all her willpower to remain polite and resist changing topics.

 

“Are you okay?” Azari asked as a pair of fire elf men strolled by, clearly a couple.

 

“Yeah! I’m just getting worn out by all the people is all.” Emily said, keeping her voice low. She rubbed her face and gazed out to the lake the stretched below the cliffside the building was constructed on.

 

Azari moved closer.

 

“Is that it?” 

 

“There’s just a lot for me to remember. I have to keep going over etiquette, mannerisms, social convention and dances in my head and all at the same time trying not look like I’m being bored back to Earth when some guy has been droning on about the varieties of fae figs for five minutes!”

 

Emily heaved as Azari squeezed her hand, the elf giving a half-hearted chuckle to mask her ears sinking in disappointment.

 

“Don’t get me wrong! I’m having a good time.” Emily added, “This place is gorgeous, the food is amazing, spending time with you is amazing… I’m just used to being around humans I guess.” 

 

Emily sighed.

 

“It doesn’t help that half the stuff these people talk about are things I know nothing about. And I can’t ask them to explain because I’m supposed to know it already.”

 

“Well, you’re doing great! No one suspects a thing.”

 

Emily smiled in return, then was struck with sudden hunger pains.

 

“I’ll go get us some food.” Azari stood, “Wait here, okay Em?”

 

“Sounds good, thanks.” Emily replied. As Azari darted into the ballroom Emily let out a particularly heavy breath.

 

“Be back soon…” She whispered.

  
  


~*~

  
  


As the minutes ticked by and the sun sank ever lower, Emily tried to focus on the lake and waterfalls before her. But with every moment Azari was gone she found herself growing increasingly anxious. Two water elves and a wind elf stood twenty yards away from her, chatting amongst themselves.

 

"Azari where are you?” Emily whispered to herself, making attempts to control her breathing and slow her heart. 

 

_ This is fine. Azari probably got stuck in a crowd. _

 

_ Elves don't crowd though. _

 

_ She'll be back, everything will be fine. _

 

Emily walked to the balcony and gripped the cold marble of the railing. Setting her focus on the lake that stretched to the horizon, her hand drifted to where her amulet rested under the fabric of the dress.

 

_ Where did Azari go? Why did she leave? _

 

Glancing over her shoulder, Emily found herself to be alone.

 

She stuttered a sigh and leaned on the railing, lowering her head. Clearing the area one more time, Emily tugged at the chain and held the stone in her palm.

 

"We miss you back home you know, everyone does." She said in a whisper, "Dad, Uncle Victor and Aunt Phoebe. Me, Sophie, Kirk, Bridgette and--- ". Emily squeezed her eyes shut and held the amulet tighter.

 

"Oh little Bella… she'll never get to know you…" Emily brought the pendant to her forehead. “Why didn’t you tell me about this place? It, it could have been our thing, you could have shown me what to do.” 

 

She shuddered. 

 

“I guess it’s too late for that now…”

 

Emily jumped when she heard voices grumbling to each other. Snapping her neck to check her back, she saw no one, until the grumbling started again. Casting her eyes down, Emily’s brow furrowed and lips tightened.

 

Before her were three stout creatures, each of them standing no higher than her knees. Large ears sprouted from rounded heads, which sat atop pudgey and comically small bodies. All of them had hair that was styled in a way that reminded Emily of a troll doll. Each one wore matching belt buckles; A symbol of an eye with a cat’s pupil.

 

One of the creatures had purple skin and bright crimson hair with a tunic to match. It muttered something to another, angrier looking creature who also had purple skin but a dark blue tunic and hair. The angry one growled something at her before trying to jump at her. 

 

The one at the forefront with green skin and dark blue hair stomped the butt of it’s spear in the angry one’s path. It barked what sounded like a command, making the angry one stand down, then it turned to give her a sideways glare from under the eyepatch it wore.

 

_ What the hell is that a Gremlin? _

 

The presumed leader of the trio took a step towards her, and by instinct Emily took a step away, only to press up on the railing. Eyepatch leaned to her right, pointing the business end of the spear at her. A flash of pale green glazed over its eyes as it growled incoherent nonsense at her. While the entirety of the sentence was lost on her, Emily could pick out one word that stood out.

 

“---Mewleytay.” It growled, pointing to her neck.

 

“Mew lay tay?” She echoed with a confused expression.

 

Her heart skipped a beat as she scrambled to tuck her amulet back into her dress. Without thinking she charged the creatures and cleared their heads with a single jump, slipping into the safety of the ballroom. Once weaving herself into the midst of the crowd, Emily checked behind herself to see the creatures rush in after her, standing under the balcony archway and scanning the room. After a moment, Eyepatch led the trio to the stairway that led to a closed off balcony overlooking the dancefloor.

 

Suddenly the ballroom went completely quiet, sparing a few awstuck gasps.

 

“Cast your eyes upwards---” A male voice announced, “---for Elvendale has been greatly honored! On this night, their majesties have made their first appearance in one-thousand years, to the Oriann Conquest Ball.”

 

_ Conquest? _

 

Emily followed the gazes of the people to the royal's balcony. There, she saw Skyra talking with someone just beyond view.

 

“---Og’s conquer, kneel before the crowns. King Kyrie the Daybreaker, and your Queen, Oriana the Justice!”

 

Emily followed as the ballroom knelt. Despite knowing she should keep her head low, curiosity got the better of her. She lifted her chin just slightly and strained her eyes up to see two figures step into the light.

 

The man, King Kyrie, had a relaxed posture and kind energy about him.  He was richly complexioned with dark brown hair that fell to his mid back in waves. The center of his body was accented with gold, his tunic the color of yellow cream. A white cape, that Emily could see was lined with what looked like blue velvet, was fastened around his neck with a sapphire.

 

His crown was his most striking feature. The symbol in the center was like an arrow, with the point facing up. Face plates on either side of the arrow formed his mask, with pointed pieces accenting his cheekbones.

 

In his right hand was an ivory staff, with a carved blue crystal at the top. Atop the crystal was the shape on his crown but point down.

 

Oriana contrasted with her presumed husband greatly, holding her shoulders square and straight. Her skin was very fair, only her hair paler, which fell down her back like a comet tail. Two braids fell over her shoulders and down her dark indigo dress, the bodice a shade lighter than the skirt and accented with a silver emblem.

 

A silver band wrapped around the queen’s upper arms and collar, attaching her cloak. The fabric reached the floor and reminded Emily of the final moments of a sunset, blue and violet, yet full of glimmering stars. But what stood out to Emily was something she hadn’t seen on any other elf.

 

Sprouting from the queen’s skull were four obsidian black horns with violet and dark blue gemstones growing along the length of the larger set. A band of silver with one jewel at the forehead wrapped between the larger horns and the smaller ones. Chains of silver with blue and purple gemstones were strung from silver pieces on either side of her head, wrapping around to attach at the back . While Emily couldn’t see a face beyond the black veil of the headband, she could still feel the scornful gaze cast upon the ballroom.

 

Emily quickly put her head back down as the queen’s face swept over her direction. Another moment passed before the queen spoke.

 

“All rise.”

 

Emily’s throat tightened as the air was robbed from her body. Something about the queen’s frosted voice set off a sort of primal fear Emily had never felt before in her life. A fear that went beyond fight or flight instinct and instead pierced into her very soul.

 

A tap on her shoulder tore her from her daze.

 

“You can stand now.” 

 

Emily looked up to a boy in a teal button up and darker teal baggy pants who looked no older than thirteen. He rubbed the pale yellow marking on his right cheek as his other hand fiddled with the end of his brown capelet.

 

“Right…” She stood, brushing off her skirt. “Thank you.” She patted the boy’s light brown and teal hair, watching as he scampered off to join whoever he was brought with. 

 

Bringing a hand to her heart, Emily released a breath she wasn’t aware she held. But as she stood awkwardly as the elves around her mingled, she could feel a prickle on her neck as if someone was watching her. Scanning around the ballroom there were no prying eyes to be found.

 

Until she looked up.

 

Above on the balcony was a fourth person, male with fair skin and pine green hair that fell to just above his shoulders. She could feel his glare beneath the mask part of his sharp gold crown. He was dressed entirely in dark colors with gold trim, a dark green cape draped over gold shoulder armor. At his feet was Eyepatch, speaking animatedly while pointing down at her.

 

A soft buzz from her amulet caught her attention. At that same moment the green gem of his own amulet lit up. With his attention diverted to the necklace, Emily took the opportunity to disappear into the crowd.

  
  


~*~

  
  


Hours passed and Emily was worn out from dances and socializing. Her efforts to find even one of her friends were bust, so she reserved herself to sit outside once more. Leaning against the now purple and blue walls, she admired the bright stars of Elvendale. The night had been graced with a new moon, so Emily could see every branch of galaxy even more clearly.

 

She shivered as the wind picked up, rubbing her arms and stepping back into the ballroom. She skirted the perimeter, casting a bright but weary eye across the jewel toned people.

 

Her heart skipped a beat as a head of bright crimson and a goldenrod dress caught her attention. Azari briefly looked in her direction, only for her anxious expression to pass over. The elf frantically looked over both of her shoulders before briskly walking down a corridor that led to another part of the ballroom, Emily picked up her pace to follow. She had just crossed the threshold when someone grabbed her wrist.

 

She jolted at the person’s freezing touch. A chill ran up her arm and into her whole body as she stood mid-stride, her brain scrambling to process the event.

 

"Might I?" A suave voice asked. Emily turned to face whoever had grabbed her, and her stomach twisted. Behind her, standing in a half-bow with an arm behind his back, was the man from the royal’s balcony. Upon her turning to fully face him, he retracted his tattooed arm and straightened to his full height. 

 

He had to have been at least six feet tall, as Emily, had to look up to keep his face in view. He was younger than she initially thought, possibly in his early twenties, and faintly smelled of wine. If there hadn’t been a chance that she was related to him, Emily would admit, he was conventionally handsome. Her eyes darted to the crown as she took in the eye symbol, situated above and between his eyes.

 

_ Oh shot this is the gremlin boss. _

 

As Emily stumbled to deny his request, she suddenly became hyperware of the dozens of eyes on her. The giddy whispers and buzzing energy seemed a hundred times more potent than it had all night. Her eyes darted to the people surrounding her as they muttered things to their peers.

 

The man held out his hand for her, flashing a charming smile that felt the slightest bit malicious.

 

"The dance?"

 

Her mouth acted before her brain. 

 

“Of course!” She said, flawlessly applying the accent and a false smile. Emily raised her hand to hover short of a centimeter from his palm, with him honoring the distance. She willed herself to stay calm as she doubled her pace to keep in stride with the man, ignoring the buzzing words from the people who parted before them. She recited profanities to herself as the whispers seemed to inflate the space behind her eyes.

 

“The prince!” A father whispered to his daughter. 

 

“How fortunate!” One girl gushed in a stage whisper to her group of friends.

 

“He never comes down from the balcony.”

 

_ Send me to the eighth circle.  _ Emily thought with an internal grimace.

 

Emily and “The Prince” stopped near dead-center of the dancefloor as the final notes of a song played. A moment passed, then a tune that sounded eerily similar to a folk song she often heard on Earth rang into the air, and the dance commenced. They were only a few steps in before he spoke.

 

“What is your name?” He asked, head tilted to look at her.

 

“Abigail Jadestream, Water Elf, meek magic.”

 

“Why so formal?” He laughed, his smile taunting her answer.

 

“This is a formal event.” Emily tried to focus only on the dance. It had been merely a minute before the prince spoke again.

 

“Is this your first ball? I don’t recall spotting you in previous years.” 

 

“There are many people here, it’s quite difficult to pick one person from a room of hundreds.”

 

She quickly continued when his lips pursed. 

 

“But yes, this is my first year attending, is it that obvious?” Her chest tightened around her drumming heart, as she could feel his scrutinizing glare from under the polished gold of the mask. The prince hummed and raised his chin slightly.

 

“With whom are you attending?”

 

“Pardon?” Emily tripped over the word and her pulse stuttered.

 

“You’ve said it yourself, this is your first year in attendance. Someone ought to have acquired tickets for themselves and you.” He took a half step closer.

 

“If you must know,” Emily took a half step away, “I’m here with a few friends, one of them was given tickets for all of us to attend.”

 

“Their names?”

 

Emily took a brief pause, warding off the twinges of panic that were setting in.

 

“Iraza, Adian, Aria and... uh…” Emily trailed off.

 

“Is one of their names troubling you?”

 

“Oh no! No, his name’s--- Fred.”

 

_ Fred?! _

 

“Fred? I don’t believe I’ve ever heard such a name.”

 

“I’m sure there’s lots of things you don’t know.” Emily’s accent fell away into her normal voice.

 

“Excuse me?” The prince’s head snapped to her, his lip beginning to curl. Emily’s heart punched her throat.

 

“What I mean is---” she stammered as the accent returned, “--- with everything that exists, it's impossible to know everything. My apologies, my first remark was quite rude.”

 

The dance continued on, Emily tearing herself apart for her answers. The prince looked away from her with a steady line-lipped expression.

 

“It’s atypical of me to give leniency to such behavior.” He said after they spun, now their right hands were hovering and the steps going clockwise. "It is a special night after all, so I’ll be merciful this once.”

 

Emily was about to reply when he continued.

 

“Your insolence will be remembered however.”

 

She bit the inside of her lip and gave a curt nod.

 

_ Good thing I’ll never have to see you again. _

 

Once again the dance continued on, with Emily nervously glancing to the man’s amulet from her peripheral. The green gemstone set in gold was innocent enough, but something about it caused an uneasy itch in the back of her mind. The prince looked off towards the musicians, his ears making small movements like a cat pinpointing a mouse.

 

“I don’t recall percussion being a part of this arrangement.”

 

“It could be something from outside.” 

 

“Maybe so.” His tone uninterested as he turned back to her. Then he leaned down, getting close enough for her to faintly see his eyes in the shadow of the mask.

 

"What do you have on the end of that chain?" He nodded with his chin.

 

"It uh, uh… it's just a chain." Emily stammered.

 

“Then why is it weighted at your neckline?”

 

“Why are you looking at my neckline?”

 

The dance fell silent after that, the prince averting his eyes with an ear twitch. Emily couldn't shake the jarring presence that came from his amulet. Dwelling in her own panic, she was unable to keep time with the dance, and was too late to notice her foot land on the toe of the prince's boot.

 

“You dolt!” The prince hissed.

 

Emily jumped back, unsteadily continuing the dance. She was about to say an apology before she was interrupted.

 

“Did you learn this dance just yesterday?”

 

“I learned this dance a few days ago actually.” Emily returned his tone, dropping the accent again, “Sorry for not being a master of it, I’m only human after all.”

 

Time came to a halt, both parties stood still as the rest of the ballroom carried on. Emily’s heart was beating down on her chest cavity and her hands trembled. In her panic stricken mind, Emily attempted to step away, only for her wrist to be grabbed.

 

“What did you say, human?” The final word being said with crystal clear disdain. The prince gripped her wrist tighter and pulled her closer.

 

In a sudden surge of courage, Emily looked him in the eyes, hardening her gaze and baring her teeth. Quickly she tore her arm away and made a dash, bumping into people as she disappeared into the bodies.

  
  


~*~

  
  


It had been nearly an hour since Emily escaped what seemed like her unquestioned doom. She made sure not to stay in one place long, because she was sure that that was exactly how she was spotted in the first place. But despite the scare, she had regained her composed act and was now holding natural conversations with people.

 

Emily was in the middle of a sentence when a spearhead waved in front of her face. She and the Wind elf she was talking with stepped back and looked down to the holder. One of the short creatures from the balcony, the one with bright crimson hair and blemished lilac skin.

 

“Oh, a Goblin.” The Wind elf wrinkled his nose, “I’ve heard they’re not very bright.”

 

“They’ve been following me for quite some time now.” Emily replied as the goblin continued to try and prod the spear at her face. Raising a hand and brushing the weapon aside she excused herself, making sure to spin the creature a few times before leaving.

 

A few minutes later she had found a new talking buddy. A girl about her own age with mid-shoulder length blonde hair. Emily introduced herself by her fake name, and the elf introduced herself as Evanee O’Dille, a Water elf.

 

“Are you perchance related to the Daphne O’Dille?”

 

“I am!” The elf said, fixing the large blue and green flower atop her baby blue hat.

 

After that, Emily became so engrossed in the conversation, that she hardly felt the poking at her ear. But once she took notice, a quick shake of the head was all it took to get it to stop. She took a quick glance down to see the same goblin from before darting away, giggling to itself. A hand went to check her right ear when cold air brushed it.

 

Her eartip was gone.

 

Emily turned her head back up to the elf, who was looking at her with pink eyes widened in a mix of shock and terror.

 

“Evanee---” Emily slowly reached a shaky hand out, the elf looking at it, then to her.

 

“M--- mother was right… There was---  you were the human in Athelney…” She whispered.

 

“Yes but please… whatever you’re about to do, you don’t have to do it.” Emily looked to the elf with pleading eyes, “I can put my hair over my ear, walk away, and neither of us have to speak of this.”

 

Both girls were shaking now, Emily was certain her former conversation partner could hear her heart. The elf opened her mouth and began to breathe heavily.

 

“Evanee please!” Emily begged, her voice going hoarse.

 

“H--- H--- HUMAN!” The elf shrieked, pointing to Emily and backing away.

 

Dead silence. 

 

All eyes were on her.

 

Elves who were previously stood closeby shifted quickly away from her. A half-circle of empty floor space surrounded Emily.

 

“A human?”

 

Emily’s blood stopped cold at the queen’s voice. Shifting her gaze directly across the ballroom to the balcony, all four royals were at the railing, their full attention on her. Skyra’s lips were set in a horrified worry, the King showing concern, and the Prince looking down at her with a prideful sneer.

 

“Humans haven’t dared to show themselves in thousands of years.” The queen set a hand on the railing, clicking her nails against it, “I was beginning to think their kind had finally vanished.”

 

Pair by pair the jewels in the queen’s horns lit up until they reached the topmost gem. The woman raised her right hand and summoned a pitch black energy.

 

“But a single, adolescent human, is hardly something to be bothered about.” The magic flared up like a flame being fed with gasoline. The king turned, quickly speaking to her with a hand held out. In response the queen took a brief pause, but held her hand in front of her.

 

“Find the soul and tear it down.”

 

Like a bullet the energy came streaking towards Emily. She instinctively shrieked and closed her eyes, cowering behind her arms that swiftly rose to protect her head.

 

But nothing happened.

 

A soft white glow entered her vision when she slowly opened her eyes. Frantically she patted her collar when she felt the lack of weight on it. Then she noticed that the elves around her held their mouths agape. Some looking to her and others to the source of the glow. Emily followed their gazes and joined them in their shock.

 

There it was, her amulet, levitating before her. The white light of the amulet morphed into the shape of a bird, which Emily soon realized was a Phoenix.

 

The queen gripped the railing and summoned her magic from both arms, the energy clinging to her like electricity in a lightning ball. She raised her arms to cast another spell.

 

The amulet’s manifestation gave a mighty call before it was fired. It flapped its wings twice before going into a barrel roll, turning into a focused beam of magic. 

 

A blinding flash filled the room.

 

When the light subsided moments later, the amulet had returned to Emily’s neck in full view of the people. However, the queen stood hunched over with her back to the ballroom. The King had abandoned his staff to help his wife, Skyra and the prince stood aside looking genuinely disturbed. The queen straightened, whipping around and storming back to the railing.

 

Emily and the ballroom collectively gasped.

 

The beam had severed nearly three quarters off of her left horn, as well as caused half of her veil to fall away. The furious queen looked Emily dead in the eye with her void black sclera, bringing a hand to hold her veil back in place and jabbed a finger to Emily.

 

“I want that human’s magic drained like the rest of its kind!”

 

“You will do no such thing!”

 

All eyes turned to Skyra, who held her staff in an offensive position, the gem glowed brightly as electricity ran down the staff.

 

“How dare you,” The queen hissed, “my own daughter turning to treachery?”

 

Skyra snapped her head to Emily and roared.

 

“EMILY RUN!”

 

Chaos broke loose as the block that held Emily frozen was broken, sending her into a mad dash. Thunder clapped and magic clashed, ball goers were in a panic from the outbursts and heavily armored soldiers began to flood the building.

 

Emily was in a full sprint, desperately looking for an exit, finding only dead ends or guards. The civilians who attempted to block her path were either trampled through or used as shields to block attacks from the guards. 

 

She was pincered, with guards at her tail, head, and side. 

 

She ran past another archway, only to be suddenly pulled into the darkness by a vine around her torso. 

 

The crystal walls glowed green before completely sealing her off with a violent bang from the warzone of a ballroom. The vine fell limp as her arm was taken roughly and she was dragged to her feet, stumbling over three unconscious guards. The person who grabbed her summoned an orb of green magic to light their way.

 

“I told those girls that bringing you here was pleading for disaster.” Farran’s agitated voice sounded. “This always happens, Aira and Azari come up with these crazy ideas, I try to be the reasonable one and talk sense into them, but in the end I’m always talked into their madness. And then Naida has the gall to try and act like the eldest and wisest of us all, yet remains passive when it really matters.”

 

Farran stalked through the dimly lit corridors, the events in the ballroom muffled but echoing.

 

“And you.” He whipped around to face her, his ears pinned and teeth gritted. Emily felt a twinge of fear from how his magic lit his face.

 

“What in the damned Otherworld were you thinking?!” He shouted, causing Emily to shrink back and her eyes to sting. 

 

“Raising a shield to defend yourself is one thing, but to outright attack queen Oriana? That is a death sentence, do you hear me?!”

 

“I didn’t attack her!” Emily cried, her voice cracking. She tore away from Farran’s grasp and hugged herself. 

 

“Emily.” Farran said sternly.

 

“Anything this thing does it does on its own! Nothing here makes any sense! I don’t know how to do magic or much else of anything in this godforsaken hellscape! I have no idea what I’m doing andeverythingisfallingapart andIcan’tdoany---”

 

Emily held her hair in fistfulls, her breathing heavy as she shoved down a breakdown. She was shifted in her place as Farran wrapped his arms around her, the hand holding the magic being moved up and down her shoulders. The buzz of the magic quickly eased her nerves.

 

“You had me frightened beyond my mind. You’re like a sister to me, and if anything happened to my sisters I’d never forgive myself. It didn’t occur to me that this was an accidental spell, I’m sorry.”

 

“I just wanna go home and hug Snickerdoodle.” Emily said pitifully into Farran’s shoulder.

 

“Then come, the exit is a five minute walk still.”

  
  


~*~

  
  


Hand-in-hand, Farran and Emily emerged into the night. In a single hand motion the crystal panels closed.

 

“The girls are waiting in the stables.” Farran said, leading her to a thicket, his magic casting a soft glow ahead of them. They approached the treeline, the elf using his magic to make the trees pull themselves aside and close behind them as they persisted forward. Shortly the plant life became scarce, giving way to the stables that lay apart from the main palace.

 

“Emily!” Azari’s voice cried out as the fire elf dashed from an empty stall, Aira and Naida stepping out after her.

 

“Azari hush! The dragon keep is right below us, we don’t want any guards to hear.” Farran scolded. Emily grunted as the elf embraced her.

 

“I looked and looked and looked for you, I’m sososo sorry I shouldn’t have ever left your side!” Azari rambled on as her warm body trembled. 

 

The sound of wingbeats and a horse’s rumble drew the group’s attention to the ground behind them. Goldenglow’s white body stepped closer as she continued her rumbles.

 

“She says that guards have been ordered to search outside. We have to hide now.” Aira translated. Goldenglow rumbled something directly to Farran, who nodded and pulled Azari away from Emily. He directed her and Naida to the stables, the trio disappearing into one of the stalls. 

 

Now it was just Aira, Emily, and Goldenglow.

 

“Emily, I’m s---”

 

“It’s fine.” Emily murmured, taking a rag from her pocket and wiping the paint from her cheek. Aira shifted in discomfort as the sudden cold tone. Goldenglow made a few more noises, turning her neck as voices became present.

 

“Goldenglow will take you to the portal, you’ll wait out the search on Earth.”

 

Emily nodded, pulling herself onto Goldenglow’s back and gripping her mane. The pegasus took a step back and opened her wings, rustling her feathers.

 

“Farhe’el Emily.”

 

The human took pause, Goldenglow looking back at her with a sympathetic eye.

 

“Goodbye.”

 

Before any further words could be exchanged, Goldenglow was galloping towards the cliff edge, then soaring through the air. The human tore off the remaining eartip from her left ear and shoved it in her pocket, resisting the itch to check if Aira had made her way to the hiding spot. Instead she settled her eyes to the mountains ahead. 

 

She was free.

 

Yet, Emily couldn’t shake the feeling that something evil was following her...

 

~*~

  
  


[ Last Section ](https://sta.sh/2kmppo4xt13?edit=1)


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